I believe this photo strikes a nerve for a lot of people," said photographer Robert Hawthorne. "Many people shiver and recoil when they see it, imagining themselves in the fishermen's shoes.”

Brown bear photo-bombs 'oblivious' fishermen in wildlife photographer's photo

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/brown-bear-photobombs-fishermen-alaska-wildlife-photographer

"Hurry up already and catch me a fish"

Seriously tho, it's easy to be snuck up on while fishing because of the water noise.

All three we're thinking about lunch lol.

Only one was looking at the menu though

LOL.

Exactly!!

That photo caught my attention. I took several groups of customers to fly fish at lodges in Iliamna and Bethel 30 years ago. On certain rivers you were always going to be around bears, like on the Brooks river at the falls. On other rivers you had to walk through the willows to move up or downstream to get to the next good spot and you always had a tight sphincter depending on the wind. The bears on certain popular streams figured out that there was a fish on the end of the human's stick, so things got interesting now and then. I was doing this before guides carried shotguns, but there were almost no incidents in those years.

The most impressive thing I remember fishing the Brooks was a 70" bull moose coming out of the bush and crossing the river not 10 yards from me.

BC was scarier for me because you always knew there were bears but there were fewer so I was always more wary.

Whoever said that the river noise is a factor is dead on... plus the focus on the fishing.

Great photo.

Pete