Can Instinct Be A Learning Process?

A while back,  I received a phone call from a very good friend and highly experienced angler.  He called to tell me about his day fishing and the events that happened.  In great detail, he told me of the five hook ups through the day and how and where.  I was really happy for his good fortune and wished I had joined him.  The important fact was that he remembered every aspect of what occurred.

Any day in February, that you have five hook ups is a great day to me.  I then asked how his partner did.  "He didn't get any to take" he said.  "We were fishing the same water with the same flies and I just can't explain why.  He has all the passion and desire and did work hard, but just did not connect."

Well, I think I can explain exactly why and it has to do with what I call Learned Instinct. Fish have instinct that is extremely powerful.  The slightest thing out of place will freeze them from moving, let alone take a fly.

Some of us will go through an entire day and not give a thought as to what is happening under the water.  Some of us will watch with great concentration as our line moves with the flow.  Some of us could close our eyes and feel every move the line is making.  When you get to that point you have achieved Learned Instinct.

The angler who throws out his line without thought is relying on luck.  The angler who watches every movement is learning.  The angler who can feel has learned what is right and makes it happen without thought.  Sort of like a basketball player who has achieved spontaneous action.  No premeditated thought goes into the process but the result is a basket.

The difference in my friend and his partner is the number of hours of careful attention paid to what is happening at every moment.

The moral to this story is that you need to fish a lot if you want to be successful.  Not every day will produce the catch, but your chances increase with every moment you are willing to pay attention.

William