I'm sure it was Hugh Falkus in one of his books that wrote a chapter on this, some people have a kind of 6th sense and can strike into a fish before they actually feel it.
I don't think that it is something that can be learned , some people have it and some don't. I think it could go a long way in explaining how 2 poeple fishing from the same boat using the same gear , same lines , same flies can have differing sucess.
Jim