Pasadena Casting Club

415 S Arroyo Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105

Slightly summer dormant purple sage growing in the shade of coast live oaks.
The edges of the Casting Club area move smoothly back into more wild space. (image taken in early July)
Hummingbird sages in deep shade and dappled light.
Even the dried flower stalks of the hummingbird sage are cool looking. (image taken in early July)

Established:
1998

Size:
5,500 sq. feet

Features:
Fly Fishing casting pool
There are sometimes tadpoles in the pool
Picnic tables

Best time to visit:
Spring
The mass planting of hummingbird sages and iris are at their most glorious in the spring. This is also the time to spot tadpoles living in the casting pool.

This delightful little garden highlights plants found in the Arroyo Seco. There are several rare Engelmann Oaks, along with western sycamore and live oaks. The stairs that lead from the clubhouse to the casting pool are bordered by large plantings of hummingbird sage, douglas iris and a wildflower meadow.

There is a smooth transition between the domesticated space surrounding the club and the wilder spaces beyond and gives the area an almost magical quality. The deep shade of the oak and sycamore trees opens out into bright sun, the delicate green shade plants shift to the wilder spaces beyond. The effect is that, despite

having a specific purpose, the club is a joy simply to visit, and to walk around and to breathe in the scent of dust, sage and oak trees.

The Pasadena Casting Club is located in Pasadena’s only dedicated nature preserve, the Lower Arroyo Seco Park. There are several restored acres of habitat at the California Blvd Pedestrian entrance just south of the Casting Club.

The walkway from the club house to the pool and the meadow planting around it.
This a garden of mass plantings, douglas iris and hummingbird sage are the real stars here. (image taken in early July)
Coast live oak branch dips down to a bunch of weeds.
Coast live oak (image taken in early July)

The Arroyo Seco is another water system in Southern California that was channelized for flood management. For the Arroyo Seco, this happens underneath the Colorado Street bridge. There are proposed plans to restore the water flow through Lower Arroyo Park. Because the river runs through a canyon here there is limited danger of flooding to the surrounding community. Despite the damage to its water system and the presence of many non-native invasive plants, Lower Arroyo Park is an important part of the local ecosystem and is filled with wildlife.

The design of the park, mainly that it is still mostly oak and sycamore woodland with sage scrub mixed in, provides a different experience within the city. The park is filled with hiking trails and a bridal path. It is home to the Pasadena Roving Archers and of course the Pasadena Casting Club.

The Pasadena Casting Club was founded in 1947 for “a group of fly fishing enthusiasts dedicated to fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying, and all things related to the sport.” The club boasts over 250 members, some of whom have reached international recognition, and

has one of only three casting ponds to be found in the state. The Club- house itself is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays, but the facilities are open everyday from 6:00 AM to sundown.

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Lower Arroyo Secco Park
Opening Hours:

6:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Pasadena Casting Clubhouse
Opening Hours:

Sunday 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Pasadena Casting Club

415 S Arroyo Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105

Slightly summer dormant purple sage growing in the shade of coast live oaks.
The edges of the Casting Club area move smoothly back into more wild space. (image taken in early July)
Hummingbird sages in deep shade and dappled light.
Even the dried flower stalks of the hummingbird sage are cool looking. (image taken in early July)

Established:
1998

Size:
5,500 sq. feet

Features:
Fly Fishing casting pool
There are sometimes tadpoles in the pool
Picnic tables

Best time to visit:
Spring
The mass planting of hummingbird sages and iris are at their most glorious in the spring. This is also the time to spot tadpoles living in the casting pool.

This delightful little garden highlights plants found in the Arroyo Seco. There are several rare Engelmann Oaks, along with western sycamore and live oaks. The stairs that lead from the clubhouse to the casting pool are bordered by large plantings of hummingbird sage, douglas iris and a wildflower meadow.

There is a smooth transition between the domesticated space surrounding the club and the wilder spaces beyond and gives the area an almost magical quality. The deep shade of the oak and sycamore trees opens out into bright sun, the delicate green shade plants shift to the wilder spaces beyond. The effect is that, despite

having a specific purpose, the club is a joy simply to visit, and to walk around and to breathe in the scent of dust, sage and oak trees.

The Pasadena Casting Club is located in Pasadena’s only dedicated nature preserve, the Lower Arroyo Seco Park. There are several restored acres of habitat at the California Blvd Pedestrian entrance just south of the Casting Club.

The walkway from the club house to the pool and the meadow planting around it.
This a garden of mass plantings, douglas iris and hummingbird sage are the real stars here. (image taken in early July)
Coast live oak branch dips down to a bunch of weeds.
Coast live oak (image taken in early July)
The Arroyo Seco is another water system in Southern California that was channelized for flood management. For the Arroyo Seco, this happens underneath the Colorado Street bridge. There are proposed plans to restore the water flow through Lower Arroyo Park. Because the river runs through a canyon here there is limited danger of flooding to the surrounding community. Despite the damage to its water system and the presence of many non-native invasive plants, Lower Arroyo Park is an important part of the local ecosystem and is filled with wildlife.

The design of the park, mainly that it is still mostly oak and sycamore woodland with sage scrub mixed in, provides a different experience within the city. The park is filled with hiking trails and a bridal path. It is home to the Pasadena Roving Archers and of course the Pasadena Casting Club.

The Pasadena Casting Club was founded in 1947 for “a group of fly fishing enthusiasts dedicated to fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying, and all things related to the sport.” The club boasts over 250 members, some of whom have reached international recognition, and has one

of only three casting ponds to be found in the state. The Club- house itself is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays, but the facilities are open everyday from 6:00 AM to sundown.

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Lower Arroyo Secco Park
Opening Hours:

6:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Pasadena Casting Clubhouse
Opening Hours:

Sunday 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Pasadena Casting Club

415 S Arroyo Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105

Slightly summer dormant purple sage growing in the shade of coast live oaks.
The edges of the Casting Club area move smoothly back into more wild space. (image taken in early July)

Established:
1998

Size:
5,500 sq feet

Features:
Fly Fishing casting pool
There are sometimes tadpoles in the pool
Picnic tables

Best time to visit:
Spring
The mass planting of hummingbird sages and iris are at their most glorious in the spring. This is also the time to spot tadpoles living in the casting pool.

This delightful little garden highlights plants found in the Arroyo Seco. There are several rare Engelmann Oaks, along with western sycamore and live oaks. The stairs that lead from the clubhouse to the casting pool are bordered by large plantings of hummingbird sage, douglas iris and a wildflower meadow.

Hummingbird sages in deep shade and dappled light.
Even the dried flower stalks of the hummingbird sage are cool looking. (image taken in early July

There is a smooth transition between the domesticated space surrounding the club and the wilder spaces beyond and gives the area an almost magical quality. The deep shade of the oak and sycamore trees opens out into bright sun, the delicate green shade plants shift to the wilder spaces beyond. The effect is that, despite having a specific purpose, the club is a joy simply to visit, and to walk around and to breathe in the scent of dust, sage and oak trees.

The garden is only a few blocks away from Pasadena’s famous “Millionaires Row” on Orange Grove Ave. The contrast is stark between the habitat filled garden and the lawn and exotic tree lined avenue. Arlington Garden is noisy with life. Lizards scuttle through the fallen leaves and birds move through the branches. The milkweed patch is filled with monarch butterflies. Many of the spaces in this guide are connected to a larger open area or park and while Arlington Garden is not far from the Arroyo Seco, it doesn’t not feel visually connected. Instead the garden is encountered as a stand alone space. It is an island of habitat in an otherwise uninhabitable area.

The walkway from the club house to the pool and the meadow planting around it.
This a garden of mass plantings, douglas iris and hummingbird sage are the real stars here. (image taken in early July)
Coast live oak branch dips down to a bunch of weeds.
This a garden of mass plantings, douglas iris and hummingbird sage are the real stars here. (image taken in early July)

The Arroyo Seco is another water system in Southern California that was channelized for flood management. For the Arroyo Seco, this happens underneath the Colorado Street bridge. There are proposed plans to restore the water flow through Lower Arroyo Park. Because the river runs through a canyon here there is limited danger of flooding to the surrounding community. Despite the damage to its water system and the presence of many non-native invasive plants, Lower Arroyo Park is an important part of the local ecosystem and is filled with wildlife.

The design of the park, mainly that it is still mostly oak and sycamore woodland with sage scrub mixed in, provides a different experience within the city. The park is filled with hiking trails and a bridal path. It is home to the Pasadena Roving Archers and of course the Pasadena Casting Club.

The Pasadena Casting Club was founded in 1947 for “a group of fly fishing enthusiasts dedicated to fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying, and all things related to the sport.” The club boasts over 250 members, some of whom have reached international recognition, and has one of only three casting ponds to be found in the state. The Club- house itself is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays, but the facilities are open everyday from 6:00 AM to sundown.

Close
Get Directions
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Options hide options
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Lower Arroyo Secco Park
Opening Hours:

6:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Pasadena Casting Clubhouse
Opening Hours:

Sunday 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Hummingbird sages in the foreground and the casting club pool in the back.
Hummingbird sages have one of the loveliest scented foliage, and is a perfect plant for the understories of trees, especially coast live oaks. (image taken in early July)
A manzanita in the shade of a western sycamore.
We don’t have a specific id on this manzanita, but it is gorgeous! (image taken in early July)
Engelmann Oaks, white sage and deer grass growing on the path from the parking lot to the Casting Club pool.
When creating the original garden, two rare Engelmann oaks were planted. The trees were once widespread throughout southern California. (image taken in early July)
The silhouette of hummingbird sage flowers stalks and western sycamore against the casting club pool.
The beautiful contrast of deep shade and bright sunlight. (image taken in early July)
Hummingbird sage and California fuchsia by with the Casting Club house in the background.
Hummingbird sage and California fuschia (image taken in early July)
Backlit oak trees, sages and deer grass along a pathway.
Deer grass and a black sage variety edge the cultivated space (image taken in early July)
Late afternoon sun on coast live oak and black sage.
The light at the base of the Arroyo Secco always feels magical. (image taken in early July)
Medium sized ceanothus bush (we do not have a specific id) growing in bunch grasses.
Bunch grasses with shrubs (in this case a ceanothus) give meadows such a delightful texture (image taken in early July)
Pasadena Casting Club house with western sycamore trees on either side. Image taken in late afternoon.
The lovely Casting Club house. (image taken in early July)