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Founded in 1947, the Pasadena Casting Club is a group of fly fishing enthusiasts dedicated to the art of angling and casting, conservation, education, catch and release philosophy, and camaraderie through Club meetings, outings and events.
HomeAugust 2014

The Ninth Annual Yak Fest

7:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Pasadena Casting Club Clubhouse & Pool



If you’re a newer member and imaginative, you may think the Yak Fest is celebrating the fly tying significance of the hair of the Yak (Bos grunniens), a large, shaggy-haired ox found in the Tibetan highlands--they certainly have plenty of hair. So much hair, in fact, the task may appear impossible; thus the genesis of the term “yak shaving,” referring to any apparently useless activity which, by allowing you to overcome intermediate difficulties, allows you to solve a larger problem. I was recently professionally diagnosed as a yak shaver...

If you’re a newer member and have ever imbibed too much tequila, you may recall (or be repressing) how cheap tequila makes the human body violently rewrite what is thought to be one of Newton’s laws of gravity into “What goes down must come up.” Shame on you, we aren’t celebrating that kind of “yakking,” nor do we condone such irresponsible behavior. 

If you’re a younger member with an urban flavor, perhaps you think you’ve found the only hip-hop-friendly fly fishing club around, and we are talking about drinking Cognac…such as in, “They must have been sipping some fine yak backstage at the Jay-Z and Beyoncé concert at the Rose Bowl this weekend.

No, we’re talking about talking--the Yak Fest is entirely an unstructured social event. All our other monthly meetings have specific programs and speakers, which always seem to cut-off the lively pre-meeting banter. Without the interruption of a speaker, Club members have the chance to get to know each other, make new friends, and chat aimlessly about fly fishing. The venue is the Clubhouse and Casting Pool on a lovely summer evening, with the Club picking up the tab for a free meal for everyone. This is also a great event to bring your family and friends to—everyone is welcome.

Although the event and dinner starts officially at 7:30 p.m., we’ll be setting up the premises beginning at approximately 6:00 p.m., so show up whenever you want. Bring your fly rod and cast beforehand.

Paul Payan, whose culinary skills have quickly made him a very popular person at PCC, is planning a Mexican-themed dinner menu for the Yak Fest. Soft drinks will be provided, and all of this is free, with neither donation nor RSVP required.

Wenda Payan, our Fundraising Chair, has planned our monthly raffle with a special grand prize, so what you save in food costs you can spend on raffle tickets.

So, this coming Thursday evening, August 14th, meet new friends, renew old acquaintances, make plans for upcoming fishing trips, swap secret locations, or shamelessly lie. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Seymour Singer at quant@pacbell.net or 323-445-5936. If you want to help, we can always use a hand before, during, and after the event with set-up and serving; please contact Paul Payan at paulpayan@hotmail.com or 626-441-2491. Directions to the venue for newcomers can be found elsewhere at this website.


Yakmeister Seymour Singer