Keep in mind that interwoven to the fabric of this question is just how much a pellet imitation looks like an actual pellet. Not all pellet imitations are created equal. If a fish can tell the difference between a Mepps spinner and a minnow, then he can probably tell the difference between an actual pellet or a piece of brown fuzz.
If a fish is automatically discouraged from ever eating a pellet if you catch him on a real pellet fly, then what happens if a fly-fisherman catches a bluegill on a virtually perfect midge fly? Does that mean the fish never eats another real midge?
My HSB quit taking the PomPom flies years ago because it just doesn't look that much like a pellet. It worked for a while. But even after repeated captures with a PomPom they still vigorously ate pellets every day. How do we explain that? Probably because there's a difference in the way they look.
