Yes, I like to think so....However, I'm quite sure this is down to the fact that I've concentrated on a set number of waters rather than spread myself around (what a horrible though!). In other words I have totally familiarised with the vagaries of said waters and learnt, to some extent, how to deal with them. This line of approach may seem boring to some but at least I can pretty much guarantee catching some fish every time I go out, and some good stuff as well. I see others struggle on these waters, so I must be doing something right!
Some of the waters are biggish so moving swims helps to hgive that 'new venue' feel, and then, of course, we have the times when we have a blank and any form of familiarity goes out the window!!
To answer the OP question; I believe familiarity of venue plays a big part in improving catches, but that by no means suggests one can sit on ones hands and use the same old tactics and baits. When I think back ten years I know now that I was probably fishing too heavy, as well as being stuck in a rut around tactics.
To a great extent I owe the improvement in catch rate to what I have learned from fellow FM'ers, not least to those of the match fishing fraternity, and others who have contacted me with ground bait suggestions etc that have worked a treat....
Although it doesn't pay to ignore sound advice when you see it writ large in front of you, it also doesn't pay to take things as read, and to try to think outside the box, to come up with a new approach or bait - something............
As Skippy said recently, if he is not fishing, he is reading or thinking about it and that I suggest is part the correct approach to improve ones self...IMHO
Lets' hope I don't blank tomorrow.........................................