Everyone who fishes would love to discover that secret fishing hole that’s loaded with hungry fish waiting to attack your hook. It’s equally true that everyone who hunts would love to find that secret spot that the biggest buck, or wild boar, or bull elk calls home.

You may have heard the old rule of thumb that 10 percent of the hunters get 90 percent of the game, and 10 percent of the anglers catch 90 percent of the fish. The other side means 90 percent of the hunters and anglers get 10 percent of the game and fish.

Actually, there’s much truth to the 90/10 rule. The trick is learning how you can become one of the 10 percent.

Basically, there are three factors that will determine if you’ll be part of the 10 percent group or will remain in the 90 percent. The key ingredients are knowledge, dedication and practice, practice, practice.

Let’s say you’re determined to become a super trout fisher and regularly catch far more trout than anyone else. These concepts could just as easily apply to bass fishing, deer hunting or any other outdoor pursuit. To become a better trout fisher, you have to learn more, to try harder and put in longer hours.

In these days of DVDs, VCRs and online connectivity, it’s easier to learn than ever before. While obtaining outdoor knowledge electronically is great, there are still old-fashioned ways that are effective, too. There are an amazing number of books that will get you started and provide invaluable knowledge.

Another great way to learn is to attend one of the many hunting or fishing clubs in the area. The clubs regularly have programs that teach fly-tying, rod-building, stream and lake techniques and even how to cook your catch. They have outings where you try that new casting technique you’ve read about and have a club member instruct you on how to improve.

If you’re a hunter, there are clubs you can join in Stockton, Manteca and Escalon. The National Rifle Association has great programs for shooters that will develop and hone your rifle accuracy. The California Department of Fish and Game hosts regular classes open to the public to increase awareness of the habits of deer, bear and wild hogs. Another great source of information is the array of hunting and fishing clinics sponsored by the manufacturers of outdoor equipment. Bass Pro Shops is in the midst of a series of such clinics.

The next factor is putting that knowledge into practice. Let’s imagine a stretch of stream that has a heavy growth of bushes on both sides. The current cuts along the far bank, and the bushes hang down and almost touch the water. You know there’s likely to be a dandy trout lying back under those branches. There’s no room for a back cast because you’ll get snagged in the bushes behind you.

What do you do? Here’s where the dedication and practice comes into play.

Sometimes, you can use the roll cast to get your fly in there without getting snagged. If that doesn’t work, you can use the bow cast. Most of the time, both casts aren’t really needed or even desirable. But in the right situation, they can be the trick that saves the day.

The final factor is dedication. Practice that roll cast, and then do it again tomorrow and again the next day. Before long, you’ll be able to do it in your sleep.

Another manifestation of dedication is that you want to succeed more than most other anglers. You’re willing to walk a couple of extra miles to get to the stretch of water no one else fishes often. You’re willing to hike 2,000 feet down into that canyon and then the grueling 2,000 feet back up again at day’s end. When the thunderheads begin to gather and the rain begins to pour, the average guy will pack it in and quit, but you pull out your poncho and have some of the best fishing of the year.

Oddly enough, once you get to the point where you can catch far more fish than the law allows, you often come home with less fish than is allowed. Somewhere along the way, you figure out that success in fishing isn’t measured in the number or pounds of fish but in the challenges you overcame to catch them. Where a couple of years ago you turned loose the little fish and kept the big ones, now you release the big ones and just keep a few small ones.

Somewhere along the way, you figure out angling it isn’t about the catching fish — it’s about having fun. You’re no longer one of the 90 percent. You’ve learned that hunting isn’t really about pulling the trigger and killing — it’s about knowing your quarry and its habits. When you pass up on that year-old forked horn buck and decide to wait for a trophy buck that has reached his prime and passed on his genes, congratulations, you have arrived! You have become one of the 10 percent.

Until next week, Tight Lines.

• To comment on Tight Lines, forward messages to Sports Editor Ike Dodson at 239-6351, ext. 306, or e-mail ike@sunpost.net.