View source for Fishing

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[[File:Fishing Hobby.jpg|center|400px]]


Have you always wanted to take up '''fishing''' and get out into the great outdoors where you can enjoy nature while casting your line in the sparkling water? Well, now is a great time to start! Fishing is a hobby that can be pursued at your leisure and requires nothing more than a little patience and a fishing pole.

== Description ==
"''One of the only ways a hobbit can spend an afternoon snoozing in the sun and still get dinner.''"

Fishing was introduced with [[Patch Notes - April 24th, 2008|Book 13: Doom of the Last-king]] as the only hobby available in LOTRO, until [[Birding]] launched with [[Update 41 - Wednesday July 31, 2024|Update 41]] as the second.

== The Basics ==
<onlyinclude>Players can train in the art of fishing from [[Hobby Master]]s:
{{:Hobby Master}}

'' '''Note:''' [[Fishing Supplier|Fishing Suppliers]] cannot teach fishing.''

=== How to Fish ===
Open the Character Journal and click on the Hobby button along the bottom. Here you will find information about fishing, and the Fishing icon which you can drag/assign to a [[quickslot]]. 

Locate any body of water: a lake, river, stream, or pond will suffice. Once you have picked out your fishing spot, equip your fishing pole and face the water.

Press the Fishing quickslot button once (or activate the associated hotkey) to cast your line. Once the line has been cast, wait until you see signs of a bite - such as splashing in the water, the bobber dipping under the water, or your fishing pole flexing. Other signs include an animation of a fish approaching, then biting the floating lure in the water.

When these signs occur, quickly reel in your line by pressing the Fishing button again. If you reacted in time, you will have caught something. If not, try again.

=== Equipment (or Tackle) ===
Your first fishing rod is a quest reward from the hobby-master who trains you in the art of fishing. They will also give you [[Item:The Basics of Fishing|The Basics of Fishing]] to guide you along. If you destroy, misplace in storage, lose, or sell your fishing rod by mistake, you can purchase another from Fishing Suppliers or other NPCs with the titles [[Fisherman]] and/or Guide. In some cases there are vendors who are not clearly labeled as well. Vendors such as [[Héalac|Héalac]] who can be found in [[Snowbourn]].

Better fishing-rods can be crafted by an [[Woodworker|Expert Woodworker]] or purchased from select reward based barterers through-out the game. The basic rod will work fine for a beginner. 

===Where to Fish===
''Generalized recommendations based on fishing proficiency level'' 
* 0-50: [[Bree-land]], [[The Shire]], [[Ered Luin]], [[Cardolan]], [[Swanfleet]]; any Player Housing homestead
* 51-100: [[North Downs]], [[Evendim]], [[Lone-lands]]; any Player Housing homestead (until level 95)
* 101-150: [[Forochel]], [[Angmar]], [[Misty Mountains]], [[Trollshaws]], [[Eregion]]
* 151-200: [[Moria]], [[Lothlórien]], [[Mirkwood]], [[Enedwaith]], [[East Rohan]], [[Mirkwood]], [[Great River]], [[Dunland]]

=== Leveling Fishing ===
Proficiency level can be checked under Character > Hobby, then hovering over the bar below the hobby description. A tooltip will appear showing "(your level)/200," indicating your level relative to the maximum possible of 200. While there is no limit to casting and retrieving the fishing line (nor limit to the amount of fish you can catch per day), only '''10 proficiency levels can be earned per day'''.  

When you can earn proficiency, the bar under Character > Hobby will be blue. When you can no longer earn fishing proficiency, this bar will turn yellow. This bar resets at {{Server Time|2|00}}. ''Note: there is no chat message or pop-up notification when the daily cap has been reached, only chat messages when your level has increased.''

Fishing proficiency affects what type of fish you can catch - e.g. [[Item:Dace|Dace]] at level 21, or [[Item:Carp|Carp]] at level 135. As such, it can be beneficial to raise proficiency if seeking a specific type of fish, to complete [[Fishing Deeds]], to obtain fishing crafting trophies, and/or to catch specific types of fish for use in [[Cooking]] recipes that do not use [[Item:Pair of Fish Fillets|Pair of Fish Fillets]].  See also [[Fishing#Types_of_Fish|Types of Fish]] and [[Fishing#Rare_Fish_Locations|Rare Fish Locations]].

If you cast and catch fish 6 or more times in a row and do not earn a proficiency level, either your hobby bar is yellow (i.e., fishing proficiency cap has been reached), or the water is too "high" or too "low level" for you. After your Fishing Proficiency is 150, though, it can take a long time to reach 200. Although it's still possible to get 10 proficiency levels per day, it takes more than 6 casts to get a proficiency level after 150 is reached.

===Types of Fish===
Certain [[fish]] are caught depending on your level of experience in your Hobby. Once you reach the next proficiency, fish from the level before will no longer yield proficiency for you.

There are several types of fish you are able to catch.
* [[Fish#General Fish and Junk|General Fish and Junk]]
* [[Fish#Crafting Fish|Crafting Fish]]
* [[Fish#Rare Fish|Rare Fish]] (''such as Trout, Darter, Sturgeon, and Salmon'')
* [[Fish#Mountable Wall Fish|Trophy Fish or Mountable Wall Fish]] - ''barter with the taxidermist for a mounted fish''
:''See [[Fish|detailed list of fish]].''

</onlyinclude>

{{Category:Fishing Rods}}
These rods provide an '''invisible''' boost to Fishing Proficiency (i.e., "Fishing Skill".) The [[River Hobbit]] earned racial trait [[River-folk|"River-folk"]] also provides an '''invisible''' +25 boost to Fishing Proficiency.

== Fishing Quests ==
* [5] [[Quest:One Fish, Two Fish|One Fish, Two Fish]]
* [5] [[Quest:Teach a Man to Fish|Teach a Man to Fish]]
* [5] [[Quest:Fish-tales|Fish-tales]]
* [40] [[Quest:Hook, Line, and Sinker|Hook, Line, and Sinker]]
* [45] [[Quest:Fish of the Wildwood|Fish of the Wildwood]]
* [47] [[Quest:Empty Larder|Empty Larder]]
* [75] [[Quest:Glinting in Forgotten Pools|Glinting in Forgotten Pools]] (repeatable)
* [99] [[Quest:Fishing on the Wharf|Fishing on the Wharf]] (repeatable)
* [120] [[Quest:Rhosgobel: Cleaning the Anduin|Rhosgobel: Cleaning the Anduin]] (repeatable)
* [120] [[Quest:Rhosgobel: Cleaning the Tributaries|Rhosgobel: Cleaning the Tributaries]] (repeatable)


'''Hytbold - Aiding the Sutcrofts (repeatable)'''
* [85] [[Quest: Cuts of Fish| Cuts of Fish]]
* [85] [[Quest: Terror of the Deep| Terror of the Deep]]
* [85] [[Quest: The Blood-fish| The Blood-fish]]
* [85] [[Quest: The Garsfeld Guppy| The Garsfeld Guppy]]


'''Edoras'''
* [87] [[Quest: Edoras: The Last Cast| Edoras: The Last Cast]]
* [87] [[Quest: Edoras: The Old River King!| Edoras: The Old River King!]]


'''Dol Amroth City Watch: Docks (repeatable)'''
* [100] [[Quest: Turtles in the Depths| Turtles in the Depths]]
* [100] [[Quest: The Salmon Run| The Salmon Run]]
* [100] [[Quest: The Bait Ball| The Bait Ball]]
* [100] [[Quest: Baiting the Hook| Baiting the Hook]]


'''Farmers Faire'''
* [...] [[Quest:Stocking the Pond|Stocking the Pond]]
** [...] [[Quest:The Fishing-hole|The Fishing-hole]] (repeatable)
** [...] [[Quest:Sitting on the Dock|Sitting on the Dock]] (repeatable)
** [...] [[Quest:A River Runs Through It|A River Runs Through It]] (repeatable)
** [...] [[Quest:The Pond|The Pond]] (repeatable)
* [...] [[Quest:Big Fish, Little Fish|Big Fish, Little Fish]] (repeatable)
* [...] [[Quest:Hired Hook|Hired Hook]] (repeatable)
* [...] [[Quest:Pond, or Thief?|Pond, or Thief?]] (repeatable)
* [...] [[Quest:Fishy. Very Fishy.|Fishy. Very Fishy.]] (repeatable)


'''Special fishing quest conditions:''' In some fishing quests, you must cast your line toward a glowing or bubbling point in the water. Often there will be an icon on your vital display showing "This is a good place to fish" or similar, and possibly a countdown timer. When the timer expires, the "good fishing spot" has moved, and you must move to the next spot. In other quests, notably Glinting in Forgotten Pools, you must fish until something is caught, but the creature that holds the item now attacks you. Place your weapon in a handy place on your quickslot bars so you can switch quickly.

The Dol Amroth Docks daily quests have complex mechanics where you must bait before fishing, find the right place to fish, and also fight some turtles that you fish up. There is a guide to these quests here [[https://departmentofstrategery.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/dol-amroth-city-watch-docks-guide/ Dol Amroth City Watch – Docks guide]]

== Rewards ==
=== Fishing Titles ===
Your proficiency level can only be increased by 10 points per day. A yellow progress bar on the Hobby tab of the Character log indicates you've reached your limit for that day. You can continue to fish, but you will not receive any more experience for the rest of that day.

{|
|-
| valign="top" |
{| width="245px" class="altRowsMed"
! colspan="2" | Proficiency
|-
! Level !! Points
|-
| Apprentice Angler || align="center" | 10
|-
| Journeyman Angler || align="center" | 50
|-
| Expert Angler || align="center" | 100
|-
| Master Angler || align="center" | 150
|-
| Lord/Lady of Streams || align="center" | 200
|}

| valign="top" |
{| width="350px" class="altRowsMed"
|-
! colspan="2" | Catch of the Day
|-
! Title !! Requirement
|-
| [[Darter-master]] || Catch all 9 Darter varieties.
|-
| [[Sturgeon-master]] || Catch all 9 Sturgeon varieties.
|-
| [[The Complete Angler]] || Catch a [[Item:50-pound Salmon|50lb Salmon]]!
|-
| [[Trout-master]] || Catch all 9 Trout varieties.
|-
| [[Lake-master]] || Catch all 20 Lake fish varieties.
|}
|}

=== Fishing Deeds ===
* [[The Salmon King]] - Catch a [[Item:50-pound Salmon|50lb Salmon]]!
* [[Darter-master]] - Catch all 9 Darter varieties.
* [[Sturgeon-master]] - Catch all 9 Sturgeon varieties.
* [[Trout-master]] - Catch all 9 Trout varieties.
* [[Lake-master]] - Catch 20 types of eastern freshwater fish.
* [[Fortunate Festival Fishes]] - Catch many rare and wondrous fish during the Summer Festival (now [[Farmers Faire]]).

=== Fishing-related Deeds ===
* [[Fine Faire Fishing]] - Enjoy fishing at the [[Farmers Faire]]!
* [[Fisher-king]] - Discover [[The Fishing Hole]]. {{Tooltip Coords|Swanfleet|63.20S|23.99W}}
* [[Here Fishy Fishy Fishy]] - Find all the fish trophies in [[Lake-town]].

== Rare Fish Locations ==

* '''Trout''': All nine trout species can be caught in North Downs, Trollshaws, Evendim, [[Lone-lands]] and [[the Dale-lands]] with fishing proficiency 50+. All water in those areas have exactly the same drop rate. Reward: [[Item:Trout Group Trophy|Trout Group Trophy]]
* '''Darter''': All nine darter species can be caught in [[Angmar]], [[Misty Mountains]] and Forochel with fishing proficiency 100+. All water in those areas have exactly the same drop rate. Reward: [[Item:Darter Group Trophy|Darter Group Trophy]]
* '''Sturgeon''': All nine sturgeon species can be caught in [[Enedwaith]], [[Eregion]], [[Lamedon]], [[Mirkwood]], Moria, and East Rohan with fishing proficiency 150+. All water in those areas have exactly the same drop rate. Reward: [[Item:Sturgeon Group Trophy|Sturgeon Group Trophy]]
* '''Salmon''': All salmon, including the 50-lb salmon have been reported being caught from the island [[Tinnudir]], in Evendim. 50-lb salmon has been reported being caught from the Lone-lands, Mirkwood, Misty Mountains, [[Rivendell]], Swanfleet, Enedwaith, East Rohan, West Rohan and Dunland.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Fishing with Tenric 1.jpg|Watching for fish
Image:Fishing with Tenric 2.jpg|Catching something
Image:Fishing with Tenric 3.jpg|Reeling in the catch
Image:Summer Festival Fishing.jpg|A woman has a fish in her hand, ready to be put in a basket
</gallery>

== External References ==
Old Lotro Forums: [https://forums-old.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?134372-The-Angler-s-Guide-to-Fishing-in-LOTRO/page15&p=1807490#post1807490 The-Angler-s-Guide-to-Fishing-in-LOTRO]

Another research page: [https://lotro.allakhazam.com/wiki/The_Angler%27s_Guide_to_Fishing_in_LOTRO#Special The_Angler's_Guide_to_Fishing_in_LOTRO]

[[Category:Gameplay]]
[[Category:Fishing]]