Each of the five lands has one legendary fish living in its water. They never bite on a plain cast: you need a steel or endurium rod and a big Spirit Wager in the land's own element. Each one fights in its own way. Landed, it gives a burst of spirits, 400 Swim XP, and a fish that cooks into a dish teaching 500 XP to two stats.
The five
| Fish | Land | Wager element | Spirits when landed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elder Koi | The Woods | any | 20 Water, 12 Earth, 8 Fire |
| Stonecrown Pike | The Rocky Highlands | Earth | 20 Earth, 12 Water, 8 Wind |
| Aurora Char | The Tundra | Water | 22 Water, 10 Wind, 6 Earth |
| Sunfire Arowana | The Desert | Fire | 22 Fire, 12 Water |
| Wraithfin | The Haunted Wood | Wind | 20 Wind, 14 Water |
How to hook one
All of these must be true for a cast:
- A steel or endurium rod.
- A wager that counts as 100 or more (the tide counts; see Spirit Wagers), in the land's own element. In the woods, any element will do.
- The float lands in deep water in that land.
Then each roll has a chance to bring it up:
| Wager counts as | Chance |
|---|---|
| 100 to 149 | 1.5% |
| 150 to 199 | 2.5% |
| 200 | 4% |
Every such cast in a land that doesn't bring it up adds 0.5% to the chance there, until you hook it. Then that land's count starts again. The fishing window shows your chance on the WAGER page (LEGEND), and what each land's legend asks on THE WATER page.
There is no set time of day. But the tide can lift a wager past a step, so each fish has good hours: Fire around noon, Earth at night, Water in rain, Wind in a storm or strong wind. A land's own element also gets +15% in that land's water. With an endurium rod, 175 spirits in the land's element count as 200 in its own water.
The fight
When a legendary fish is hooked, it surfaces at full size for a moment and the camera draws back for the whole fight. Every legendary fish is as heavy as the heaviest catches: it reels in slowly, runs after 65% of its wiggles, wiggles for shorter spells, and strains the line 60% faster than a common fish. The usual rules still apply: reel while it wiggles, yank while it runs (see Fishing). On top of that, each has its own trick:
| Fish | What it does | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Elder Koi | Its wiggles last 60% longer, and it swims round you in a wide circle even as you reel it in. | Keep reeling through the long wiggles. Don't panic as it circles. |
| Stonecrown Pike | Its runs last 60% longer. It sinks like a stone, so reeling during a run strains the line even faster than usual. | Yank and keep yanking through the long runs. Never reel while it runs. |
| Aurora Char | Three ice floes drift in as it bites. When it runs, it heads for a floe and hides under it; these runs last at least 2 to 3 seconds. Under the ice, a yank hauls nothing back and only strains the line, and reeling saws the line on the ice. When the run ends, it darts out into open water toward you, flashing teal and violet. | While it is under a floe, do nothing and let the strain drain. Reel when it comes out into the open. |
| Sunfire Arowana | During a run, it leaps out of the water (each leap lasts 0.75 seconds), again and again. | Yank while it is in the air. If you miss a leap, the line takes 32% strain. Reeling during a leap strains it fast. |
| Wraithfin | Every 2.5 to 4.5 seconds it fades from the water and comes back up to 2 tiles to one side. | Watch for the rings where it reappears and keep doing the right move. |
Landed, it is held up over your head for 4 seconds, its spirits burst into you, and it goes into your pack. If your pack is full, it lies at your feet. A wager on a legendary catch is spent like any other.
The dishes
Each legendary fish cooks into its own dish. These dishes are always unlocked and have no grades (see Cooking and Dish Grades). Eating one heals you to full health, fills your stamina to full, clears your sleepiness, and teaches 500 XP to two stats (more when you eat cozy at home; see Comfort).
| Fish | Dish | Teaches |
|---|---|---|
| Elder Koi | Elder Koi Feast | 500 Health XP, 500 Stamina XP |
| Stonecrown Pike | Stonecrown Roast | 500 Defense XP, 500 Endurance XP |
| Aurora Char | Aurora Chowder | 500 Swim XP, 500 Health XP; you can't be Chilled for 10 minutes |
| Sunfire Arowana | Sunfire Skewers | 500 Attack XP, 500 Stamina XP |
| Wraithfin | Wraithfin Broth | 500 Sprint XP, 500 Jump XP |
Showing them off
- A Trophy Mount shows a legendary fish at full size. E an empty mount to show each legendary fish you have ever caught in turn. The fish stays yours, so you can still eat it. You can also set a legendary fish itself on the mount.
- A legendary fish put in a Fish Tank swims in it, as big as the tank allows.
- Catching any one of them earns the achievement Legend of the Deep (see Achievements).
Other ways
A Fisher tenant can now and then bring in the legendary fish of the land their water is in.
