The easiest way to get a fishing rod in Fable is to save the fisherman at Fisher Creek, a small area off Greatwood Entrance: kill the wasps attacking his hut and he hands you a rod for free. You can also find one in a chest in Lychfield Graveyard or buy one from a general goods store. This guide is about the original Fable from Lionhead (2004) and its re-releases, and below we cover all three methods, how to actually catch something, and the version differences that matter for the fishing competition.
Which Version of Fable This Covers
Everything here applies to the original Fable (Xbox, 2004), Fable: The Lost Chapters (PC and Xbox, 2005) and Fable Anniversary (Xbox 360 in 2014, PC on Steam later that year, and Xbox One and Series X|S through backward compatibility). The rod is found the same way in all three. The Lost Chapters, and Anniversary, which is built on it, add a Fishing Competition quest and an extra rod as a prize, which we cover below.
This is not a guide to the new Fable from Playground Games. For that game, see our Fable release date and platforms roundup.
Method 1: Save the Fisherman at Fisher Creek (Free)
This is the method almost everyone uses, and it comes early.
- Travel to Greatwood Entrance. Fisher Creek branches off it, per the community wiki’s location listing.
- Enter Fisher Creek. The first time you arrive, a cutscene shows the resident fisherman under attack by wasps.
- Kill every wasp. The community wiki counts six around the house. If you leave the area before killing them all, the cutscene and the wasps reset the next time you come back.
- Talk to the fisherman. He thanks you with a free fishing rod and starts the Fishing Lessons quest.
- Catch your first fish. Cast into the nearby ripple and follow the on-screen prompts. The lesson rewards you with a Golden Fish trophy.
Two warnings from the community wiki are worth taking seriously. First, if you leave Fisher Creek after saving the fisherman but before catching that first fish, Fishing Lessons drops out of your quest log and cannot be finished, although you keep the rod and can still fish normally. Second, players report that stealing from the fisherman’s cabin can stop the later Fishing Competition from starting, so keep your hands off his shelves.
Method 2: The Chest in Lychfield Graveyard
If you skipped Fisher Creek or want a second rod, the community wiki lists a chest near Nostro’s Tomb in Lychfield Graveyard that contains one. You will pass through Lychfield during the main story, so it is an easy pickup when you are already in the area.
Method 3: Buy One From a General Store
General goods stores in Albion’s towns stock fishing rods. This is the slowest option only because it costs gold, and by the time you have money to spare, Fisher Creek is usually a short trip away. Buying is still the fallback if you somehow missed both free rods.
How to Fish in Fable
Fishing uses the same hotkey system as your other items.
- Find a fishing spot. Look for ripples on the surface of the water. The community wiki calls ripples the main sign that something is hidden below, and not every catch is a fish: silver keys, gold and even a hairstyle card come up from fishing spots.
- Cast. Assign the rod to a D-pad slot on Xbox and press that direction while facing the ripple. On PC, place the rod on your hotbar and use it from there.
- Reel in. Watch the meter in the top right corner. When it shows a fish on the line, tap A on a controller or the left mouse button repeatedly.
- Stop when it pulls. If the fish starts pulling hard, ease off the button. Keep hammering and you risk snapping the line and losing the catch.
If mashing the left mouse button gets tiring on PC, a controller works well for this; our guide on how to connect an Xbox controller to PC covers the setup. And if you are fishing in a town, remember that a drawn sword draws guards, so put your weapon away before you settle in at the water.
Silver Keys and Other Reasons to Carry a Rod
The rod is not just a minigame tool. Several silver keys sit in fishing spots, and silver keys open the silver key chests that hold some of the best loot in the game. The community wiki lists fishing-spot keys in these areas:
- Guild Woods
- Fisher Creek
- Orchard Farm
- Ancient Cullis Gate
- Grey House
- Witchwood Stones
- Headsman’s Hill
- Lychfield Graveyard
- Necropolis (The Lost Chapters and Anniversary only)
One thing to avoid: per the community wiki, fishing in the basement of the Grey House counts as stealing, and each fish caught there adds Evil points. If you are playing a good Hero, grab only what you need from that spot.
What The Lost Chapters and Anniversary Add
In The Lost Chapters and Anniversary, the Fisher Creek fisherman also invites you to come back for the Fishing Competition, a quest that is not in the 2004 original. The goal is to bring in the heaviest fish you can. Per the community wiki, the prize tiers are a Fisherman’s Hat for first place, a silver key for second, and The Rod of Champions for third, and winning a higher tier also awards the lower prizes you have not claimed yet.
The Rod of Champions is worth getting early. Player guides describe it as making it much easier to pull up items and as producing heavier fish, which in turn helps you place higher in the competition. The community wiki also notes that fish in the Northern Wastes, the region The Lost Chapters added, run larger than those in the rest of Albion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you get a fishing rod in Fable? From the fisherman at Fisher Creek, off Greatwood Entrance, after you kill the wasps attacking his home. You can also find one in a chest in Lychfield Graveyard or buy one from a general store.
Can you miss the free fishing rod? You always get the rod once you save the fisherman. What you can miss is the Fishing Lessons quest, if you leave Fisher Creek before catching your first fish.
How do you reel in a fish? Tap A on a controller or the left mouse button when the meter in the top right shows a bite, and ease off when the fish starts pulling so the line does not snap.
Is the Fishing Competition in the original Fable? No. It was added in Fable: The Lost Chapters, so it is in The Lost Chapters and Fable Anniversary but not the 2004 Xbox release.
Why am I getting Evil points for fishing? You are probably fishing in the Grey House basement, which the game treats as stealing.