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Chrome Tales Guide Service

Experience the best fishing in Oregon.

From your first cast or your best catch yet, Chrome Tales Guide Service is your go-to for fishing trips you’ll want to talk about.

Specializing in: Steelhead, Salmon & Trout.

Based in Klamath County, serving all of Oregon.

Prepared for every season, conventional gear & fly fishing.

Your Oregon

Fishing Expert

Southeast & Southwest Zone Specialist

Learn more about our favorite fishing areas:

Spend a day floating the Rogue River in a drift boat and you will immediately see how the Rogue became famous. Boasting strong returns of hatchery and native salmon and steelhead as well as solid trout populations there really is something for everyone and can be fished nearly year around. We fish the Rogue on the upper stretches between the hatchery near Shady Cove and the town of Gold Hill.


Starting in February fresh winter steelhead will be reaching the Upper Rogue on their way to their spawning grounds. Dedicated Steelhead fishermen will tell you that nothing is better than when you set the hook into one of these chrome rockets! Fishing is mostly done by side drifting roe, yarn or beads, but fly fishing for these beasts is great fun if you’re up for a challenge.


As winter steelhead winds down at the end of April many anglers will turn their attention to the spring chinook that are reaching the upper river. While most fly fisherman await the trout opener and the arrival of the salmonfly hatch, this is a cool time of year on the Rogue River as you can target salmon in the deep holes and hungry dry fly crushing rainbows and cuttys in the edges and riffles or both if you’re looking for a little variety! Spring Chinook are widely regarded as some of the best table fare that swims and with good numbers of hatchery fish you could take home a delicious meal for your friends and family. With that said, the fight of a chinook salmon can be worth the trip all in itself. These are strong fish with a remarkable amount of energy considering the journey they’ve made so be ready for a fight! Fishing for springers is best done by backboucing roe/shrimp or pulling sardine wrapped plugs.


Beginning in July summer steelhead can be found throughout the Upper Rogue in fishable numbers. These fish are often much better biters than their winter run cousins and are known to bite a wide variety of spinners, spoons and plugs. Fly fishing for summers is also very effective with dead drifted nymphs and egg patterns being the most effective, but swung flies and even skated dry flies will take fish. Summer steelhead fishing will gradually improve as these fish lazily make their way upriver with the peak often occurring in October. With much of the Rogue under fly only regulations this time of year fishing pressure is reduced greatly, but spin fishermen need not to worry as it is legal to use a spinning rod and bug and bubble rigs to mimic fly fishing.


Fall Chinook Fishing on the Rogue can provide excellent fishing from August through October. These fish typically run a little larger than springers (20-40lbs) and they usually have a more predictable bite as well. We typically target them between Grants Pass and Gold Hill. Tactics include backbouncing bait, pulling wrapped plugs and bobber and bait.

If you have the itch to chase some of the biggest rainbows in the country, the Williamson is the place to do it. Bubbling out of the Klamath Marsh, this slow moving spring creek makes its way down to the town of Chiloquin where it meets its tributaries Spring Creek and the Sprague River. Most of our fishing will be done below this confluence where it’s cool water and deep ledgy pools provide a place for these fish to escape the heat of Klamath Lake. The Native Redband Rainbows that live in this system are spectacular with the ability to feed heavily in this extremely nutrient rich lake most of year and then move into the cooler water in the summer where they can be easily targeted in impressive numbers by the conventional angler or fly fisherman. Average size fish here is 3-6 pounds but the possibility of a fish in the 10 plus pound category is always present. Fishing is done almost exclusively out of drift boats as bank access is limited, but float & wade trips are possible if that’s more your speed. Swinging flies and nymphing are the most consistent producers here, but the potential for dry fly action is there especially during the hexagenia hatch from late June through early July. For the spin fisherman spinners, spoons and diving lures are the ticket. Season opens on this river around the last week of May and closes at the end of October and fishes consistently all season. All fishing here is catch and release to protect this tremendous fishery.

Although this lake has two names it is the same body of water and fish with the northern end being called Agency. For those that are strictly looking for a trophy Redband Rainbow, this is your best bet. Fish average 3-7 pounds with big ones regularly going 12 pounds or larger. Stripping leech patterns on intermediate lines or hanging chironomids under an indicator are the typical fly tactics while a wide variety of lures and soft plastics perform well.  Due to the migratory nature of these fish and the size of this body of water different areas are fished depending on the time of year.

The Umpqua system has one of the most prolific runs of steelhead anywhere with good numbers returning every year. They also happen to run quite a bit larger than fish from other systems with fish in the upper teen to twenty pound category not uncommon. If you are looking for a trophy steelhead the Umpqua is a good bet. Side drifting, bobber dogging and fly fishing egg patterns are most effective. The North Umpqua is almost exclusively catch and release with the occasional hatchery summer steelhead being caught. The south has good numbers of hatchery fish if you’re looking to take fish home. Fishing is good here from January through April.

This true spring creek is as beautiful as they come. Starting at Jackson Kimball Park near Fort Klamath this gin clear stream winds its way through some of the most pristine cattle country in the west to Agency Lake (Connected to Klamath Lake). The Wood is home to healthy populations of native Rainbow and Brown Trout and plays host to many huge rainbows fresh from the feeding grounds of Agency Lake. This fishery can be challenging due to its water clarity and at times snobby trout, but if you are looking to test your presentation skills this is the place for you. Fishing from a drift boat as well as walk and wade is effective here. Tactics range from hopper dropper rigs to swinging leeches into the cut banks, but for the spin fisherman or streamer junkie the biggest most aggressive fish can be taken. Prepare to be up early or out late as low light greatly increases your chances of success. Season on this river runs from the last week of April through October.

These tiny rivers need the fall rains to bring them back to fishable condition but once they come large numbers of chinook salmon rush into these streams towards their spawning grounds. These fish are as fresh as they come with some of them just hours from the salt. This means they are typically much more willing to take your offerings than fish that have spent more time in the river- so much so that they can even be taken on flies! Fall Chinook on the Elk and Sixes is best in November and December. They also provide good opportunities for winter steelhead in January and February.

Here’s What to Expect:

Rogue River, Umpqua River, Elk River, Sixes River:

$300 Full Day (8 Hours, One Person)

$450 Full Day (8 Hours, Two People)

or

$300 Half Day (4 Hours, Max. Two People)

Includes guide + 18 foot Willie drift boat + all rods, reels and tackle + cooler with ice, lunch and water

Does NOT include fishing licenses, waders or rain gear

Williamson River, Wood River, Klamath & Agency Lake:

$300 Full Day (8 Hours, One Person)

$400 Full Day (8 Hours, Two People)

or

$300 Half Day (4 Hours, Max. Two People)

Includes guide + 18 foot Willie drift boat + all rods, reels and tackle + cooler with ice, lunch and water

Does NOT include fishing licenses, waders or rain gear

Things to Bring:
• Oregon Fishing Licenses/salmon and steelhead tags, any fishing tackle you might like to use (your guide can tell you if it is appropriate).
• Rain gear and waders can be necessary in the colder and rainy months while shorts and sunscreen are better-suited for in summertime; in any case, dress in layers as mornings are often cold. There will be room in the boat for extra clothes if it warms up.
• Your favorite drinks and snacks (alcohol is allowed but must be consumed responsibly).

Your guide will contact you the night before your trip to finalize the details of the trip where and what time to meet. Be prepared to meet at a boat ramp or other spot close to the stretch we will be fishing. Feel free to call or text 541-891-5461 if you have questions before your trip.