This is absurd. I have fished the Al for almost 40 years and it is far from a "mini vedder." While there are likely more people fishing it today, there are also a hell of a lot more people today, period. The only reason it "seems" as crowded is that there are fewer places to fish on the Al due to all the private property, so the few people there (I counted 12 guys from Alco to Neaves, and 6 of them were at 216th) tend to clump together even more than the Vedder. With fewer places to access the river, the chances of finding a spot without someone already there, can be just as hard as at the Vedder, however, it was just as hard 20 years ago as it was today. I have vivid memories of fishing with my father and there was always someone else above us or below us on most of the popular runs. That being said, every spot I fished today was free of other fishermen (excepting the 2 young boys fishing the park run near my late father's memorial bench), and I did not see any fish all morning, and there were not even signs of any cutties yet in the lower reaches. THAT lack of fish, is why this little stream will never be a "mini vedder."