Linseed straw has bast fibers that could find applications in several industries, thereby providing another source of income from flax and eliminating the need to burn straw. Enzyme-retting may provide a method to effectively separate fibers to provide a high and consistent quality fiber. Pectate lyase in a commercial product has been shown to successfully ret linseed straw and to produce fibers with a higher yield, strength, and cleanliness than an existing enzyme-retting method. The use of different enzymes for retting could provide fibers with tailored properties for specific applications.