Good stories Charles. pink salmon is the best salmon species for entry-level anglers because they are plentiful, they are eager to bite, they are not too big for anyone to handle, not too small to disappoint anyone, and they taste good when eaten fresh. Due to these reasons, I have no problem promoting it as much as possible and sharing most of my successes with those who wish to learn. I rather have people doing this than racing to the Fraser Valley for the other troubled fishery.
Yes, there are many people doing it in this area, but crowding is not a big issue. Because river current is absent or moderate, tangles don't take place very often as long as everyone casts straight. It's a social fishery, which many of us take part and enjoy doing so together as a group.
It attracts a lot of newcomers, because the fishing locations are so close to urbanized areas. New users are sometimes disconnected from the river/nature. Garbage can be a problem, fishing without a license can be a problem, foul hooking fish can be a problem, misidentification of fish can be a problem, releasing fish without care can be a problem. Sometimes when seeing so many fish in the water for the first time, some people get overwhelmed and think they are in a supermarket where everything is free. Some can only be satisfied if they catch their quota everyday, but the reality is that no one needs to eat that much fish. It's all part of the progression of a salmon angler.
It's up to us who have been doing this for awhile, to provide information to those who need it or wish to learn. It's also up to us to work with the enforcement agency to single out those who wish to ruin it for the rest of us.
Enjoy the rest of the season. There are a couple more weeks left before other systems start to pick up.