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Tip of the Week // Master the "Spaghetti Pile" For Lake Fishing
May 23, 2025 Jason Harwood

Tip of the Week // Master the "Spaghetti Pile" For Lake Fishing

Jason Harwood, Director of Education at Red’s Fly Shop

If you’ve spent time on stillwater, whether it's a lake, pond, or reservoir, you’ve probably discovered one of the biggest challenges: no current to help you load your rod. On rivers, water tension does a lot of the work. But on stillwater, it’s all up to you. That’s where the "pile of spaghetti" comes in.

This is a term we teach often in our Stillwater Classes at Red’s Fly Shop—and once you understand how it works, it becomes one of the simplest and most effective casting tools in your arsenal. 


Why You Need Slack on Stillwater

To perform a roll cast or any water-loaded cast on a lake, you need tension between your fly line and the rod tip. In a river, current gives you that tension naturally. On stillwater, if your line is straight and tight, the fly just pops out of the water with no anchor, and the cast fails.

By laying down a loose, deliberate stack of line—what we call a **"pile of spaghetti"—you create slack that stays on the surface. That slack gives you the anchor point you need to load the rod and generate a clean roll cast without backcasting.

How to Create the Pile

  1. Strip in a manageable amount of line. Think about how far you want to cast.

  2. Gently flick the line from side to side, almost as if you’re tossing noodles onto the water. Avoid tight loops or hard drives—you want loose coils to land in a pile.

  3. Let the line settle, then roll cast using the pile as your load point.

It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, the pile gives you consistent roll cast launches without needing space behind you or a perfect setup.

When to Use It

  • Fishing from a float tube or kayak where backcasting is limited

  • Shoreline casting with brush or structure behind you

  • Quick repositioning when sight fishing to cruising fish

A Foundational Stillwater Skill

Like many things in fly fishing, this isn’t about brute strength—it’s about understanding water, line control, and finesse. The pile of spaghetti roll cast is one of those skills that quietly makes a huge difference. It helps you fish more effectively, with less frustration, and with better presentations.

We teach this technique regularly in our Still-Water Fishalongs. If you’re looking to level up your lake game, we’d love to have you join us on the water.

Want to learn more about fishing these amazing stillwaters this season? Join us for a course this season and let our team help you sharpen these essential skills. 

Stay tuned for more spring fly fishing insights, and get ready for some exciting days ahead! We teach these techniques and more through our various courses in our University of Fly Fishing.

UPCOMING COURSES TO HIGHLIGHT 

There are a ton of offerings currently and our stillwaters both warm and cold are on fire!   All of these offerings can be accessed in the course calendar. 

  • Sunday, May 25th, Fly Fishing 201, 12pm
  • Tuesday, May 27th, Euro Fishalong, 9am
  • Tuesday, May 27th, Yakima Fishalong, 2pm
  • Wednesday, May 28th, Trout Spey Fishalong, 9am 
  • Thursday, May 29nd, Trout Taxi (Upper River) 11am
  • Friday, May 30th, Boat Rowing Lesson
  • Saturday, May 31st, Yakima River Fishalong, 2pm
  • Sunday, June 1st, Stillwater Fishalong, 9am

ENTIRE COURSE CALENDAR HERE 

Our University of Fly Fishing is the most unique, comprehensive fly fishing education available.    

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