Whether stocking is a positive or negative depends on where and how they are stocked. One positive: Stocking catchables next to the road discourages the bait anglers from walking a quarter mile to where there are more wild fish to be caught.

Another: Stocking rainbow fry in the High Sierra means that lakes that have no feeder streams can still have a viable rainbow fishery. Actually, without original stocking, none of our alpine wilderness lakes would have trout of any kind, and wouldn't that be a shame?