Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Irvine Ross

Re: The Evening Rise
« Reply #30 on: 04/05/2008 at 13:26 »
Hi Irvine

It could equally be my understanding of OFT that's at fault. Like most of these things, depending on who you read the same terms mean different things.

Magnus

You have obvious read and thought about this is in some depth so I doubt if the hazy understanding is on your side. Have you got a PhD in behavioural ecology that you're not telling us about?

I think most aspects of animal behaviour are a bit fuzzy (especially with humans) so the more they try to refine the concept and the accuracy of their predictions, the more the scientists tie themselves in knots, as in your example:

In my fishing experience, when trout are feeding hard on an abundance of one prey its often a very good tactic to offer something that looks nothing like the caenis of mayfly or buzzers or.... The way I understand that, optimal applies to why they do what they do. Trout food varies a lot through the season, its in the best interests of their fitness that they sample other prey. That means how they behave may appear sub-optimal - they waste time and energy nailing a daddy when there are thousands of buzzers in the water. But optimal in the ultimate sense that they can switch their attention to other prey with a minimum of adjustment.

Yes I have noticed that too but I just put it down to the fuzzyness of the model, or should I say my assumption that the model had to be a bit fuzzy.

In my experience and in the experience of many other anglers I know, fish feeding hard are more difficult to spook, far less 'wary' far easier to approach. They appear to identify their prey using a minimum of cues, patterns can be more general, things like size and simple encounter may be the deciding factors. Far less shilly-shally, if they meet it they eat it or ignore it. Takes tend to be calm, they just suck it in and look for the next.
 

Yes indeed! If only it would happen a bit more often, especially on a Saturday when I can get to the river.

Irvine

 




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