Knowledge Vs. Instinct

[Garhan]

Our brain is a tool for thinking, but not its cause. Our brain has not invented thinking, the thinking invented the brain.

-- Hoimar von Ditfurth

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Knowledge vs. Instinct:
Inborn Patterns of Animal Behavior

In 1976 Hoimar von Ditfurth, a German neurologist and scientist, published a book Der Geist fiel nicht vom Himmel : d. Evolution unseres Bewusstseins ("The mind did not come out of the blue skies").
Ditfurth says that "our brain is a tool for thinking, but not its cause. Our brain has not invented thinking, the thinking invented the brain."
In this fascinating book Ditfurth describes "mock-up/decoy" experiments used by biologists to study inborn patterns of animal behavior.
In one of such experiments (in 1951), Dutch zoologist Tinbergen used a flock of newly hatched baby turkeys, not more than a few days old. They were contained in a circular pen, about 20 feet in diameter, with the walls not more than a foot in height. At the center of this circular pen, was a vertical pole 3 meters in height, with a horizontal arm extending out from the top of the central pole so that the arm could sweep horizontally over the pen in a rotary motion. Then a wooden cross was attached to the end of the arm.
The little chicks were peacefully feeding in the pen. When the arm with the cross would slowly move in one direction, the little chicks would run for cover.
When the same cross would move in the opposite direction, the birds would ignore it. If the cross moved in the direction of its longer arm, the little chicks, completely undisturbed, would go on pecking at their food. If the cross would move in the direction of it's shorter arm, they would immediately scream with fright and run for cover in a hutch in the center of the pen.

Tinbergen (1951) showed that when young turkeys see a silhouette model pulled in the direction that makes it look like a hawk, they were terrified and ran for cover. However, when it was pulled in the other direction, which makes it look like a goose, they were nonchalant (i.e., didn't react).

When a silhouette model resembled the outlines of
a flying goose, the little chicks would ignore it.

When a silhouette model resembled the outlines of
a flying hawk, the chicks were terrified and ran for cover.

This, despite the fact that there was not even a mother to warn them, or relate her experience to the little chicks. Inborn in those little chicks' brain was the instinctive recognition of the hawk as its natural enemy, instinctive fear and instinctive reaction to flee and take cover. Without any training, without any conscious thought processes, a few days old chicks were able to recognize a clear and present danger - the hawk - even though it was only a silhouette model of their enemy passing over their heads.
Another fascinating aspect of studies of the inborn patterns of animal behavior is that such behavior is not based on a response to perfect perception of the outside world (in our mind) but to an important aspect of it. The pictures below show 3 examples.

Above, there are two models, realistic model of stickleback female and next to it
a primitive version of the female with exaggerated area of the belly (which normally contains fish eggs). When male is shown both “models”, each time he picks as the object of his “courting” the model that in our view the least resembles the real female.

The red-breast robin picks a bunch of read feathers over a stuffed real bird
(because a young bird does not have the red spot in the chest area).

Another example; on the left a female of the butterfly and on the right a rotating cylinder with stripes; the male of her species prefers rotating cylinder with stripes because the flicker of the dark and light stripes generates effect similar, in natural conditions, to flapping wings of the female butterfly.
Each time the "poor imitation" is chosen over the realistic model.
Described above patters of animal behavior are valid for our own species.
It seems to be certain that inborn patterns of our sexual behavior,
just like our other instincts, are based on inherited “patterns of connections” in specific areas of our midbrain.

This photo shows fragment of a mannequin's chest.
Our brain interprets it in more than one way...

Arm and neck

So do you rib a fly with 2 turns, 3 turns, 5 turn,s or 7 turns. Seeing how that fish can not count segments on an insects body. Or instinctively do they need to count or just know that the bugs is off?


Just a curious thought.

[Quentin]

Fun read. I just keep hearing about "life-like motion" over and over again. Then, I hear about "very selective trout" and their need for a tiny fly that closely resembles the food of the hour.

 

QT

[Garhan]

Fun read. I just keep hearing about "life-like motion" over and over again. Then, I hear about "very selective trout" and their need for a tiny fly that closely resembles the food of the hour.

 

QT

 

The age old question imitative fly and performance vs. realistic fly and performance? mmmm. My self in most cases I go imatative. But there are exceptions such as when you tie Buzzers and Chronies you might cross that line (if there is one) and by the nature of the insect are tying more realistic on a scale of simple ties.

[Guest redfly]

Boy O boy Gary ya got me poor old brain a twitted well okay a little any ways I have always found that the older patterns seem to perform better than the newer more bug like ones.I have always used the fur and feathers for my creations and have always been more lucky I guess than those that use more modern bead heads and plastic thingies that make them look like the real bugs and I have always depended on colors that are represented in the areas that I fish.Oh well there I go ranting on again

[Garhan]

Boy O boy Gary ya got me poor old brain a twitted well okay a little any ways I have always found that the older patterns seem to perform better than the newer more bug like ones.I have always used the fur and feathers for my creations and have always been more lucky I guess than those that use more modern bead heads and plastic thingies that make them look like the real bugs and I have always depended on colors that are represented in the areas that I fish.Oh well there I go ranting on again

 

No Chris, no ranting. Very interesting points. As much as I like the older style of flies. These past ten or so years I have been incorporating new and old materials on some very traditional flies. If you noticed in my Squirreltail Nymphs. This pattern has been around for ever. But I am using heavy Tungsten Beads on them to assist in getting it deep quick, because of the deep pools and runs I fish for Bull Trout, Rainbows and Cutthroat on small to medium sized rivers. I have also started including rubber legs about 5 years ago, to hopefully help with the movement of the fly. Not that the old ones didn't work. They certainly did, but I felt that if I could get a little more out of them. Then my catching results would increase and I would have maybe less hesitant takes and more freight train hits. But the article is food for thought. How much nakedness did you think you had seen. It is a great play on cognitive reasoning isn't it.

[dipperdan]

This is very interesting. I don't really play with flies that much, but one fly I have tied , in different colours ,sizes and materials. Using that pattern I have caught at least 5 different species ,using different methods for different situations. Not that I consider myself a good fisher, I think the fly was in the right place at that right time. I've caught a hatch coming off and you hit that ring and hang on.

And there you go, We may also call our sport gambling. I may be a bit off topic, but hey my 2 cents. It is always fun to think you are outsmarting a dumb fish,..........

[Garhan]

This is very interesting. I don't really play with flies that much, but one fly I have tied , in different colours ,sizes and materials. Using that pattern I have caught at least 5 different species ,using different methods for different situations. Not that I consider myself a good fisher, I think the fly was in the right place at that right time. I've caught a hatch coming off and you hit that ring and hang on.

And there you go, We may also call our sport gambling. I may be a bit off topic, but hey my 2 cents. It is always fun to think you are outsmarting a dumb fish,..........

 

Interesting points and observations Dan. Have you ever had a situation were you buy 6 of one style of hook, spoon,spinner,or fly all the same colour and size and had this happen to you. The scenario is this, out of those 6 spoons, spinner, or flies not all will produce equally well. So why is that?

 

I have had situations while fishing Lake Trout (Makinaw, Grey or whatever you call them in your local regions and Rainbows in lakes). Where we would be trolling 2-4 of the same spoons or plugs at two different depths of about 5 feet apart in depth. Three out of the 4 spoons are catching consistantly. When pulling up and check the hook that is not catching we find that there is nothing wrong with the spoon. Down it goes again. This is repeated with that same spoon numerous times with no results. We then take one of the producing spoons and put it in the place where the non producing spoon was. Down they go again. This time the spoon that was producing previously on the bottom right is now producing on the top left. The one that was top left is now bottom right and wouldn't you know it is not producing.

The next time we bring two spoons up at the same time one that is producing one that is not. We notice that the flutter in the spoon that is producing has a larger and more lethargic role in its action. We then manipulate the none producing spoon until it emulates a similar rolling patter. Down they go. Wouldn't you have it now that non producer is working.

I believe that the same is true for flies. Tie them all the same as you will. Every now and then one of those flies wouldn't catch a trout in a bucket full of trout. So once again 2 ribs, 3ribs,4ribs,5 ribs or 7 ribs. Which one will produce more consistently?

So why would a fly that you have consistently produce fish in a variety of situations with multiply species be so effective. I will bet that what ever it emulates it does it well by design, movement or shape, let alone colour. Some say fish can not see colour. If that is true then why don't we just tie flies in Black, White and Grey representing shades and not colour. But that is another story all to itself, that I think both tournament bass fisherman and tournament walleye fisherman have a better handle on colour selection than most flyfisherman. You ever see a flyfisherman take out a Color Selector to a river or lake. Probably not. This is a very interesting tool. When we tournament fished we had to learn how to catch fish between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm regardless of the weather conditions. Not exactly an optimum time of day for this species. One thing we did discover using a colour selector under different water clarity and in different lakes at high sun. Colours such as Pink, Blue and Purple where great colours to use during these conditions. Although in some lakes blue worked better than pink and visa versa on other lakes. So we jokingly would say a lake was feeling pinkish or bluish amongst those that were in the know. Other participants wouldnt have a clue what we where talking about.

[Guest redfly]

Well Gary I have given this a great deal of thought and to me my life of fishing and knowledge of same is one of a charmed life.Many times that I have fished and many of my own creations especially that dasturdly Red Fly wow.It seems there is no easy way out of this post with out giving some short but meaningful memeories on my experiences of same.Being a extremely lucky steelheader when tackling those fish I would always try some thing different from the norm and success was mine. When fishing out in the oceans after Coho and trying what every one else was using I would get bored with what was on the menu and try some thing different same results yahoo fish on. But my most favorite memories of fishing is for Dollies (Bulls) and Trout I would always stay away from what people were using and work on something Different with great results.I guess what I am trying to say is be different Beads, Rubber legs what ever it takes for at one time all patterns of flies be original.

The one thing that realy made a difference to my fishing was living on and near rivers and lakes and not that far from the Ocean I have worn out many a good rod over the years and some memories that will last me a life time and made many a good friend doing the same and it seems that fly fishermen be the greatest not that they are special it is that they all are after the same as me some thing that works and the enjoyment of same.

[Guest Welshtony]

Nice one Gary,

 

good explination and reasoning, especially the same fly topic. Last season, i was fishing two identical flees (or so i thought ) point and dropper. The point fly had hit two fish, the dropper none......swapped them over and the dropper started to hit fish and the point fly nothing.....Had a close examination of the two flies and found that when i had tied them i had left a little tag of the core of the ostrich at the head of the fly...... that was the fly that was catching......Did not think much of it untill your post, could that have been the trigger i now ask myself........Cheers m8 you have just made me hit the Beer........

[Paulf]

...what will the fishing gods thinks...the day one pulls out a color chart and says I thinks I'll fish an autumn color today and not a winter color...time for a dunking in the bobber pool...

[Garhan]

...what will the fishing gods thinks...the day one pulls out a color chart and says I thinks I'll fish an autumn color today and not a winter color...time for a dunking in the bobber pool...

 

Without any Smilies I am not sure how to take your comment! Would that be like throwing a Purple Wooley Bugger in the Bow River or a size 2/0 Red San Juan Worm in the summer on a circle hook with that bobber thing above the fly. I mean a strike indicator is that the bobber pool you mentioned.

It is all garden hackle and artificial bobbers for the flyfisherman anyway.