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2K views 26 replies 13 participants last post by  SeattleFarq 
#1 ·
Driving from Victoria, BC to Los Angeles.

Do you have any suggestions regarding the most interesting/scenic route including fishing recommendations.

cheers
 
#3 ·
Yes, ^ this.

Avoid the 5 freeway - it's just not scenic....
Highway 101 can be almost treacherous driving thru the high cliff roads, but the beauty is unmatched.

Fishing along 101 - mostly saltwater (my favorite) in WA.

In Oregon, you have many choices of coastal rivers - last time I fished the coastal river in OR was the Siuslaw...

In California, most of the freshwater rivers are still high and not very fishable so stick to estuaries or the beach.....

When you get to Los Angeles, if you are near Pasadena or Long Beach - check out the fly clubs there - can meet up there as I am a frequent casting member...
 
#5 ·
+2 on @Kfish recommendations. Northern CA has some beautiful beaches. I enjoyed surf perch fishing there. You can use gear or a 7 or 8 weight with a weighted line. They hide in the close troughs just past the wave action. Just never take your eyes off the water. There are 'sneaker' waves along most of the west coast (set of high waves sandwiched in normal waves that knock you on your #€%) but it is worth every moment. Stop by Prairie Creek Campground just south of Crescent City. It's a breathtaking place to enjoy the redwoods, even if you just drive through. Look for resident elk in the toolies as you pass the campground. South of there about 30 minutes is Stone lagoon spit which is my favorite spot for surf fishing, second would be Clam beach just north of McKinleyville. Just south of Fortuna is Redwood State Park. Get off 101 and drive the Old Redwood Highway for about 8 miles, which is like no where else on earth. You'll be paralleling the Eel River and the 101. I've met quite a few hundred trout in that river. Likely it's blown, but there will be a few eddies and backwaters here and there.
 
#7 ·
What everyone else said! My wife and her sister drove from Victoria to LA via the coastal road and loved it. Scenery was wonderful. (I was working at the time, and my fishing would have slowed them down!). They did mention treacherous driving on those high cliff roads, so take your time. My wife usually gets freaked by that, but she said she would do it again for the scenery. (but several trips with me to Christmas Island got in the way...)
 
#8 ·
Check out the area around Jed Smith State Park.
I'm not sure if it is open and even if it isn't, the Smith River is awesome and the Redwoods are worth spending time looking at the trees.

As a kid, we used to catch a ton of surf perch at Cape Lookout SP in Oregon.

You might also consider taking a jet boat trip up the Rogue River out of Gold Beach if you have time.

Have a good trip.
SF
 
#20 ·
I might suggest looking into the Eastern Sierra's. Some of the best fly fishing in the world. It is on the east side of Yosemite and is much less crowded and this is a perfect time of year to fish. If you google "Mammoth Mt" of "Crowley Lake" or "Mono Lake" or "Bishop" it should give you an idea of the area. Yosemite is so crowded it just is ridiculous, while the Eastern Sierra is very nice. Highway 395 takes you right on into L.A.
 
#26 ·
Meaning no disrespect but I beg to differ - 395 scenic? So much is just fugly. They just don't compare. Sorry beautiful west coast vs ugly desert inland doesn't compute. I would drive an extra 100miles to avoid that 395 mess in the north. Mammoth itself is ok but that eastern desert is not a lot of pretty. Remember this is a trip for two, not just fishing. Going that far out of the way for Mammoth is a bit of a stretch especially with Yosemite off the list. It's an easy get around to avoid the slide and Big Sur is not closed. 101 is about 30 miles inland and there is lots of coastline much of it as pretty.
 
#27 ·
In addition to that big slide, Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge is out - https://sf.curbed.com/2017/3/20/14983602/pfeiffer-canyon-bridge-collapse. As much as I love that stretch of coast between Monterey and SLO, I would suggest you swing inland. Yosemite gets all the press, but there's also Kings Canyon NP and Sequoia NP. There's no convenient way to hit all three, but any one of them would be well worth your time.
 
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