Thanks guys. I think I agree. I actually wrote that as a response to one of my friend's notes on facebook this morning. You're right, cutting out the "I'm a bear" makes a lot of sense. In the actual dream, it wasn't towards the very end that I actually found out I was a bear. What got me most about the dream is my father at the bank of the stream - I can't figure that part out. I rewrote it below, emphasizing that my father is a man, and not a bear:
I dreamed once that I was in the middle of a rapid mountain stream. The water was shallow and clear. The sun was just peaking through the summits and the water was frigid. I was intently still. Focused....with a quick burst of energy my mouth was under the surface of the water. My teeth pierced through the tough scales. Blood on my tongue. A real hunter; I took the dying fish and threw it onto the bank of the stream where my father was patiently pacing, hands behind his back. What am I doing? I tilted my head towards the water. As the sun shone on the surface I saw my reflection - this powerful form was new to me. I was strangely calm.