Why all the hate for the stockies Joe ?
No I do get it, but I would hate to think what would happen in a lot of states if they didn't stock. Iowa included for sure. Of course they wouldn't sell so many stamps, but the few streams that can support much of a wild population would be ravaged quickly.
Back in PA/NJ put 'n' take fisheries were just state profit machines. The marketed perception was that if you weren't fishin' for trout, then you just weren't fishin. The PFBC worked very hard to create public demand for massive numbers of easy to catch hatchery product... hatcheries that are owned and operated by the state.
Never any care over the detrimental effects hatchery product had on natural environments and native fish populations, not to mention the massive amounts of litter the truck chasers leave behind. Everywhere the PFBC's great white fleet went, piles of worm containers, power bait, beer cans, sandwich wrappers, etc. were sure to follow. The crowds too are over-whelming... all in an effort to haul home as many 10 inch, finless, tasteless, weak, stockees as possible.
I had to go to great lengths to avoid these swimming socks early season. Usually by 3rd week of May the majority of them would be fished out or dead from stress and their dedicated followers would bemoan the PFBC for not stocking enough and be onto other opportunities. After that the entire stream length opened up for prime sulphur season.
Of the few warmwater streams that managed to stay off of the stocking list... these places were just a ton of fun all summer (about the same time the wives of those early season "anglers" were throwing out their collection of slime rockets that had piled up in the freezer during April). Chain pickerel, smallmouth bass, fallfish (chubs), redbreast sunfish, rock bass, and others provided great sport on fly tackle. Untapped, wild fisheries... snubbed by the high class trout fishermen.
I was just never a fan of pursuing fish that were raised in a dirty swimming pool, loaded onto a truck, and then thrown off a bridge just to fulfill this weird need to fish for trout. I'd rather cast dries to bluegills and stop for a Filet 'O' Fish on the way home.
NOTE: The above message is solely the opinion of the author and is no way representative of whatever group one may think that author represents.