catching fish is a real joy.  There is something about it that spraks to the heart of  a man.  It invigorates, it intedifies, and it fulfills and I'm sure God wouldn't have it any other way.  Theres something that says this is right, this makes sense and I feel, no, I know, it isa geetic prediliction for fishing that inspires all anglers.  Now when I say genetic prediliction what do I mean?  I think thee is a predetermination in fishing that came about eons ago whenthe first hominid had his first fish meal.  There wasn't any mcdonalds back then or any vandycamp so he had to use his wits alone to catch that first fish.  It may have been by hand and hthat may explain why  we stress the approach so much in modern angling.  You hear it all the time.  watch your aapproacvh, sneak up on the fish, the less ripples the bettera nd so on down the line.  Fish can sense when an angler is approaching or so we think and i think now with the stocking trucks and liver fed trout and mismatched genetics im sure they can but Im not sure it really matters to them.  Now I'm sure someone wiill say, what about when someone bumbles into the pool and puts down all the fish.  Doesn't that prove we have to be careful when appoaching the water.  I'd agree but for one thing.  Give it a minute or five or ten.  The fisah will start feeding again.  After the initial intrusion they go right back to what they are doing, namely feeding.  THe fish don't seee us as a treat. except for hevily fished waters we look nothing like anything they ever seen before.  They are just ifguring things out.  Fish can determine a threat, and heres the proof.  WHo hasn't imanined the scene.  Your on a backcountry new zealand river.  There is a deep green pool before you. you approach it slowly searching for fish.  You finally spot one and ake your way to the edge of the pool.  You are there and you are ready.  all is in place.  Then suddely the fish you've spotted turns and slowly begins to fin his way downstream towards you.  Ohno, you think...I've been made.  BUt ypu lmpw whay, it doesn't matter.  The fish know we are there whether we think they do or not.  They are sensitive creatures and aware of their enviri=onment.  It isn't hard to extrapolate that if they can see smalll thing,i.e.e the most minute of midges, they can sense large hings too.  We are after all 50 times thier size and adjusted to locom,otion n lad and not in water.  This being said it's awful tough to engage a river without tipping fish off to our presence.  Its like an elephant trying to hide behd a cacacia tree.  Sure he's hidden some but theres still a whole lotta elephant showing.  So this being said, why don't fish flee at the first sign of man.  I htink it's because they don't taske us as a threat.  I mean think of it al encumbered in vestb jacket waders and such we look awkward and clumsyl hardl a refined killing macine.  And after all remember, fish communcate with body language.  They show excitement and agression and sulkyness all through the position of their fins.  Just looking at body language alone, why would they be scared by us, those clumsy looking creatues.  Ithink only a real threat which signifies itself hroufg hunched shoulders, peircing e and a gtensenbdy would give the fidh any indication of a reason tof lee.  So in a way. the toughest fishing is left to the most well adapted fishrmen.  Those with skill are destined to work the hardest being the most intimidating to the fish while the awkward clumsy newby has the greatest chance of catching a fish.  His lack of a threat indicats to the fish they have nothing to worry about.  In that way approaching a river and letting the average fish know you are there does not tip your hand.  The fish will go on feeding after a short adjustment period and if they don't I would take it as a compliment; you've scared them and thats makes you a skilled fisherman.