In this week’s Signature Tyer feature, we want to highlight Josh Keslar’s signature trout flies. Josh Keslar is a bigfoot knowin’, fly fishin’, gun totin’, beer drinkin’ son of a gun. He grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania where his love for fly fishing began. Josh then attended the Pennsylvania State University and received a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. He ended up staying in the State College area after college due to the great fishing opportunities that exist there, where he then got into the fly fishing competition scene. Read on to learn a bit more about Josh’s fly fishing experience and signature patterns. Ask for these flies at your local fly shop or click on any of the fly images to shop!
When and where did you find your passion for fishing, and when did you start fly fishing?
I first learned to fish with a fly rod when I was little from my grandfather, but it wasn’t until later in my teenage years that I really found that passion in fly fishing. That passion really developed and ended up leading me down the road of getting a degree in Fisheries Science.
What are some of your favorite ways to fish, and do you have a preferred water type and/or season that you like to fish?
If I had to choose one specific method, fishing jig streamers would be my favorite way to fish. You can’t beat it when trout are feeding aggressively. Going towards specific water types and seasons, I would lean towards pocket water in the spring and early summer when the fish are feeding well. I’m always trying to find new ways to dissect the pocket water with both nymphs and streamers.
Please share how your background in competitive fly fishing has shaped you as an angler, and what are some of your takeaways from fihsing competitions?
I think my time in competitive fly fishing really shaped me into the angler I am today. Getting to watch other anglers to see how they dissect the water, fly choice, and techniques chosen really opened the thought process. There’s more than one way to do it, but what’s most efficient? This also forced me to become a more well-rounded angler to be able to fish a wide variety of water types. Depending on the section you draw, you may have a giant flat, pocket water, or anything in between. Knowing this, outside of competition, it forced me out of just fishing for numbers in “A” waters, but into maximizing my catch out of “B” or “C” waters.
Please share some information about your signature trout flies. Do you have a pattern? If so, how did it come to life, and what problem did it solve?
One of my favorite patterns I have in the catalog would be my Concussion Cray jig streamer. This pattern went through many different design stages, and it started as a thought to solve a problem. It started because I wanted a streamer for fishing in waters that have big boulders, slow deep holes, and fast skinny water. My goal was to develop a jig streamer that would be able to fish in a variety of water types, and after many iterations, that is what I ended up with. A streamer that could stay down in fast water, with a slender profile but heavy for a fast sink rate, and a pattern that could fish both moving and by resting on the substrate. One of my favorite ways to fish this pattern is by bouncing it off the bottom in defined pockets or against rocks or structures with weird currents.
Keslar’s Concussion Cray
The Concussion Crayfish was designed to be a heavy, smaller-profiled streamer. With two tungsten beads (4.6mm & 3.8mm), this pattern drops quick and stays glued on the bottom. The extra weight keeps this pattern low and acts like a fleeing crayfish would, bouncing from rock to rock in the deepest water column.
More trout flies by Signature Tyer Josh Keslar
Signature Tyer Josh Keslar developed the nymphs below to cover a range of situations throughout trout season in PA. Whether it’s early season caddis larvae, mayflies, or late season bugs, hatches of Isonychia, Keslar’s patterns can serve you well on the water. Tied on super sharp Czech Nymph Barbless & Jig Force Barbless hooks, paired with tungsten beads, get your flies into the strike zone quickly and effectively.
Keslar’s Hot Butt Slump
My variation of the slump includes an orange marabou tail that becomes visible on the pause between strips when the zonker undulates. This acts as an attractor and also simulates wounded or stunned baitfish. Offered in 3 colors, tied on size 10 Jig Force Black Nickel Barbless hooks with a Copper 3.8mm Slotted Tungsten Bead .
Keslar’s Mini Gulp Sculp
A super versatile bug that can be stripped, jigged, and dead drifted for maximum efficiency. Keslar’s Mini Gulp Sculp is offered in two colors and sizes, 10 and 12, to match the majority of small baitfish found in trout streams.
Euro Nymphing Tactics: Pocket Water Nymphing With Josh Keslar
If you’re interested in watching Josh Keslar fish, take a look at the video linked below. Josh is passionate about the technical waters of Central Pennsylvania, and his signature flies cater well to anglers looking to find success catching wild trout on pressured systems.
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