Tuesday Tip: How and Why to Make a Roll-Cast Pickup

Written by: Pete Kutzer

Welcome to another installment of “Ask an Orvis Fly-Fishing Instructor,” with me, Peter Kutzer. In this episode, I demonstrate how to make a roll-cast pickup, which has a couple of useful applications. First, it can be a time-and-effort saver. If you’re fishing fairly far out and don’t want to have to strip a bunch of line in to start a new cast, you can use the roll-cast pickup to get your line in the air earlier. This means less stripping and less time wasted between casts. And the more time your fly is in the water, the better chance you have of catching fish.

Another great situation in which the roll-cast pickup can make your life easier is when you’re fishing a sinking or sinking-tip line. If a good portion of the line is underwater, it can be difficult to initiate a backcast without stripping the line close. The roll-cast pickup will help bring your line to the surface so there’s less resistance when you start the backcast. Good luck!