Rainbow Trout aren’t native to the Missoula area, and there is debate on whether there are any native Rainbow Trout in Montana. With their chrome bright coloring, the Rainbow Trout prefers holding lies with a bit of sun, like riffles, glides and the heads of pools. The Rainbow Trout has gotten its reputation as a strong fighter because it’s found in faster water, creating a stronger, more aerobically fit trout. Rainbow Trout are known for their slashing rises in faster water, as well as podding up for hatches in slower water. As they grow, the Rainbow will begin to look for larger food forms, and they become vulnerable to the streamer. It’s rare for a Rainbow Trout to feed nocturnally, though they are active at dawn and dusk. The Rainbow Trout is found in almost every river and tributary in Missoula, and provide exceptional fly fishing throughout Montana rivers. Rainbow Trout are Spring spawners, and will spawn at the same time as the Cutthroat do. The reason Rainbow Trout aren’t native to the Clark Fork is the natural waterfall on the Clark Fork in Idaho, which kept the Rainbow Trout and Pacific Salmon from running into Montana. When Lewis and Clark came through the Missoula area, they didn’t think the Clark Fork ran to the Pacific, because there were no Rainbows or Salmon in the river.