Two Decades of Fly Fishing and the Alaskan Brown Bear

I Thought It Was a Brilliant Idea

While guiding two clients down an Alaskan creek, we hit a snag—a bear, feasting on a salmon, right in our path. The creek was narrow, with no safe passage on either side. "We'll wait it out," I told the guys. And then, a brilliant idea struck—a photo op. The two guests, standing in the water, the bear in the background. A souvenir they could take home.

Two anglers posing for a photo as an Alaskan brown bear stands behind them. — "Hold my beer" | photo by Ken Baldwin

Not Such a Brilliant Idea

As I framed the photograph, I noticed the bear shift. No longer broadside, it faced us directly. The repositioning made me uneasy. I snapped a photo, told the guys to get behind me, and swapped my Nikon for my S&W 500.

The bear's attention was no longer on the salmon but on us. It swung its head side to side, and then suddenly charged—full speed. I fired a shot into the water in front of the bear—on purpose. The sound and splash worked; the bear stopped, turned reluctantly, paused to give us one last look over its shoulder, then climbed the bank and vanished.

A fly angler fishing with two bears behind her eating salmon. — Experienced Alaskan guide Skylar Lamont sharing the water. | photo by Ken Baldwin

Fly Fishing Alongside Bears

I've been charged twice during my time guiding in Alaska, both times ending happily for bear and humans. When the salmon are spawning, seeing twenty bears in a day isn't unusual. You keep your head on a swivel, use common sense, and witness one of nature's most awe-inspiring spectacles.

An Alaskan brown bear standing up and using leaves to brush its face. — An Alaskan brown bear in a playful moment. | photo by Ken Baldwin

A Photographic Journey With the Alaskan Brown Bear

I've taken thousands of bear photos. Every bear has its own personality, and every photo its own story. Picking an all-time favorite is impossible, but here are a few I'm particularly fond of.

An Alaskan brown bear with a red salmon hanging out of its mouth. — Do not feed the bears. | photo by Ken Baldwin

A brown bear walking on the Tundra towards the camera. — Blending right in with the Fall colors of the Tundra. | photo by Ken Baldwin

A closeup of a brown bear in a portrait style photo. — A portrait of a dignified bear. | photo by Ken Baldwin

A bear running straight towards camera. — I was standing bear guard while filming a documentary. I got the photo, the cameraman got the video, the director was happy, and the bear caught his fish. | photo by Ken Baldwin

It Is a Heck of a Learning Curve

Early in my guiding career, getting close to bears didn't come easy. Every bit of my instincts screamed, WTF are you doing?! Don't be an idiot! It takes time and experience to read a bear and know how close is too close.

A mama bear and two cubs walking a bank on a creek looking for salmon — A mama bear looking for salmon to feed her cubs. | photo by Ken Baldwin

Walking up a creek, I came around a tight bend and a mama bear and two cubs were right there. I didn’t hear them; I didn’t see them—until they were in front of me. Lucky for me the mama bear's eyes were locked on the salmon. I hurried out of there, but before I did, I swallowed my fear and made sure I clicked off a few shots.

From this experience I learned to walk slower and have all my senses awake and aware.

Fresh Kill

A closeup of an Alaskan brown bear with a salmon in its mouth — Eye to eye. | photo by Ken Baldwin

We were fly fishing next to this bear. I watched as he quickly snatched a salmon and turned in our direction. His eyes locked on us—intense.

Eyeing My Fish

An angler returns a fish to the water as a big brown bear watches. — You don't want to hold the fish out of the water too long. | photo by Ken Baldwin

My client was having more success fishing than this bear, and the bear didn't look too happy about it. The more we caught, the more it watched us. A side note—it is unsettling how fast a bear can move. At 900 lbs, a brown bear can hit 35 mph. For perspective, Usain Bolt’s top speed was 27.8 mph.

Bucket List Trip

The fly fishing in Alaska is unmatched, but it’s the wildlife that makes it truly special. To experience wild Alaska, you need to get far into the tundra. The Iliamna River Lodge and its sister lodges offer top-tier fly fishing and bear-viewing experiences. Whether you want to fly fish for wild trout in remote waters or spend a week photographing bears, they have guides, camps, float trips, and lodges that put you right in the thick of it. KB

"The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

Two Decades of Fly Fishing and the Alaskan Brown Bear | A Photographer's Journey