You might not like this idea, but if you really want to hook your friend on fishing rivers for salmon, Barrier dam is probably not the best place to do it. He will witness so much snagging, carnage and sh!tty behavior that he might get the wrong idea as to what Sportfishing is all about. I'd suggest a little quieter location where even though there may not be as many fish, you could still teach him some other aspects of fishing like ethics, respect for the fish, enjoying your surroundings, and the challenge of getting the fish to bite.

p.s. I guess you could always use the Barrier dam as an example of what NOT to do.