Fishing in Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game is one of the main ways players can get ingredients for the cooking minigame, in addition to foraging and farming. It's an important minigame, and as you get better at fishing in Tales of the Shire, you'll catch tastier fish and unlock access to rarer species.
Things to Do First in Tales of the Shire
For Hobbits eager to dive into Tales of the Shire, this list of things to do first will help them get their bearings in their new cozy lives.
To start fishing, Tales of the Shire players must get a Fishing Rod and complete a basic fishing quest for the main fisher-hobbit in Bywater: Old Noakes. Follow this guide to learn where to get a Fishing Rod in Tales of the Shire, learn how to fish, and learn where all fishing spots are on the Bywater map.
How To Get A Fishing Rod In Tales of The Shire
To get a Fishing Rod, Tales of the Shire players must progress through the main story until they are tasked to find the Book of Rules to determine whether Bywater is a village.
At the end of the squabble, you are directed to find Old Noakes, a forgetful fisher-hobbit who might know where the Book of Rules is.
Old Noakes is a bit of a grumpy hobbit with a memory as sharp as his fish – that is to say, not very sharp at all.
You can meet Old Noakes for the first time after you are led to your home by Orlo Proudfoot, but you must wait until you are directed to him at his fishing pier to get the Fishing Rod.
Old Noakes will ask who you are, then ask what you are after. Choose the option "Have you seen an old book?" And tell him it has pictures of fish inside. He will then ask how you know where Mister Fishie is swimming. Choose any response (though "Swirling shapes in the water" is the correct answer).
Old Noakes will give you his Old Fishing Rod, then task you to catch three fish. You don't have to keep the fish; you just have to catch them. Old Noakes will take you back to Old Ruby's Pond right outside your home, then set you loose.
Once you catch three fish and return to Old Noakes at his dock in the north-central side of the map, he will let you keep the Old Fishing Rod permanently!
Join The Fishing Club To Get Better Rods
During the main questline, you will eventually be introduced to the Fishing Club. The Fishing Club offers special rewards for hobbits who can catch lots of fish, and it's the only way to upgrade your Fishing Rod. It's important to upgrade your Fishing Rod to both improve the quality of caught fish and to be able to catch higher-level fish.
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As a member of the Fishing Club, you can gain access to special noticeboard quests which will give you extra fishing experience. As you get more experience by catching fish and completing noticeboard requests, you will be able to get better Fishing Rods and improve your fishing abilities in Tales of the Shire.
How To Fish In Tales of the Shire
To start fishing in Tales of the Shire, players must equip the Fishing Rod by selecting it from their Tool Wheel (up on the D-pad), then press A/X to cast their reel into the water. Hold down A/X until the target marker is above one of the swirling shapes in the water, then let go to cast your reel directly on top.
If you're close enough, a nearby fish will get a question mark over its head, then rush toward the bait. Press A/X to confirm the catch, then begin reeling it in! To reel, you must press RT/R2 while the cursor is in the middle of the blue bar behind the fish.
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This is always the opposite direction that the fish is pulling – use the left analog stick to counter the fish's movements and keep the circle in the middle of this bar.
Reel while the circle is in the middle of the bar, but be careful – if you reel for too long, the circle will turn yellow, then red, to indicate tension. The line will break if you hold for too long, so be sure to ease up when the cursor starts turning red.
Continue pulling the analog stick in the opposite direction of the fish, then reeling only when the cursor is blue or yellow and directly in the middle of the bar, and you should catch fish easily in Tales of the Shire!
At first, you will only be able to catch basic fish. But as you get better Fishing Rods and level up your fishing skill, you'll be able to catch rare (and better-quality) fish to cook for meals.
All Fishing Spots In Tales of the Shire
Unfortunately, you cannot fish in any body of water in Tales of the Shire. You can only fish in certain locations throughout Tales of the Shire's map – look for the swirling shapes in the water to find fishing spots in Tales of the Shire. Once you have found a fishing spot, it will be highlighted on your map with a small white fish symbol.
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There are just four fishing spots that players have access to at the start of Tales of the Shire. These four beginner fishing locations include:
- Cotton Farm Pond: on the far south edge of the map, near the Cotton Farm itself
- Old Ruby's Pond: located just north of your home, and the first fishing spot Old Noakes shows you during the fishing tutorial
- Old Stone Bridge Pool: below the bridge to the east of the Bywater Village Square (between the Square and Old Noakes' dock)
- Tree Root Pool: deep in the forest on the southeast edge of the Bywater map
After you raise your Friendship level with certain characters, you will unlock access to their personal fishing spots in Tales of the Shire, too. Characters that will grant you access to their personal fishing spot include Old Noakes himself, the "postman" Orlo Proudfoot, and the dwarf Nefi.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game
- Released
- July 29, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Wētā Workshop
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Franchise
- The Lord of the Rings
- Number of Players
- 1
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC
