Anglers receive their own artifact fishing rod in World of Warcraft. We will show you step by step how to obtain the “Deeplight Angler”. But beware – those with little time will have to sacrifice several evenings for this. For those who find fishing the epitome of fulfillment and relaxation, it is possible to obtain the “weapon” comfortably in just one evening.
The Deeplight Angler – The Artifact Weapon for Fishing Enthusiasts
Hardly any activity in World of Warcraft polarizes as much as fishing does. While one half of the players finds this type of gameplay boring, the other half completely immerses themselves in it and finds the relaxation that you wish for from a computer game. However, there are also some hidden game contents in fishing – especially true in Legion.
Here, anglers can even obtain their own artifact weapon, which comes with its own talents and bonuses. But the path to the artifact rod requires many hours of endurance! We will show you step by step how you will soon be the most legendary angler in Azeroth. This guide is roughly based on the information from wowhead (see source).
The good news upfront: Although you can level up to a profession rank of 800 in Legion, this is not a prerequisite for obtaining the rod. If you want, you can even start with a fishing skill of 1. However, a character level of 45 is mandatory.
Basically, the preparation involves just one challenging step, which is the achievement “Big Fish”, where all rare fish from Legion must be fished. However, the fish are not simply “available” while fishing, but are attracted through special baits that give a small chance to see the corresponding fish.
Preparation: Arcane Bait
Before you start, you should go to the underbelly in Dalaran (the sewers). Buy a guard at the entrance and enter the north of the underbelly. Here you can fish, best in the “green whirlpools” that appear there. Fish until you pull the “Emblem of Margoss” out of the water. Then use it, and you will be teleported to a small island next to Dalaran. On the island, you will find not only Margoss but also a medium-sized lake – fish as hard as you can. Once you have obtained 20 Sinking Mana, exchange it with Margoss for Arcane Baits. These baits double the chance of finding other baits on the Broken Isles – exactly what we need!
Catching Rare Fish
For the achievement “Big Fish”, a total of 18 rare fish must be caught – that means 3 fish per area and 3 more in the ocean areas. To lure out the fish, we need special baits that must also be fished first. But even with these baits, there is only a small chance of actually getting the desired fish – anyone who wants to do everything in one go should plan at least 4-6 hours of time!
In general: Always use “Arcane Bait” and fish in schools whenever possible. The chance of success seems drastically increased here!
The Fish of Azsuna
There are several special features in Azsuna. You will have to deal with Murlocs and undead, invisible fish.
- Leyshimmer Frogsucker: Fish until you receive a Skrog Toenail. This will grant you a buff for 2 minutes. Once it expires, a Murloc will appear and attack you. Kill him and loot “Aromatic Murloc Slime”. Use the slime as bait, and you have 2 minutes to fish the Frogsucker.
- Nar’thalassian Hermit: Fish the bait “Mother-of-Pearl Shell”. Use this, and you have 2 minutes to fish the hermit.
- Ghostly Queenfish: Fish the “Rusty Queenfish Brooch”. Upon use, you can discover ghostly queenfish schools all over Azsuna. From these schools, you are guaranteed to catch the right fish.
The Fish of Val’Sharah
In Val’Sharah, the task is significantly easier to handle. Just fish the corresponding bait and then the necessary fish.
- Ancient Mosskime: Fish the “Decayed Fishbones”. You have 2 minutes to land the Mosskime.
- Nightmarefin: Fish the bait “Nightmare Nightcrawler”. You have 2 minutes to fish the fin.
- Thornflounder: Fish the “Drowned Thistleleaf Forest Spirit”. Use it to bury it. Shortly after, you will receive the bait buff. You have 2 minutes to fish the flounder.
The Fish of Highmountain
In Highmountain, you will deal with the Drogbar, who won’t leave you alone even while fishing.
- Ancient Highmountain Salmon: Fish the Freaky Sea Snail. You will receive a buff for 2 minutes, at the end of which a Drogbar will appear and attack. Kill him, loot the “Salmon Bait”, and use it. You have 2 minutes to catch the salmon.
- Cold Water Carp: Fish the “Frost Worm”, use it. Again you have 2 minutes to catch the carp.
- Mountain Pufferfish: Fish a “Swollen Murloc egg”. Upon use, the little Murloc hatches and blesses you for 2 minutes. Yes, same story as always.
The Fish of Stormheim
In Stormheim, Blizzard wanted to take things even further. Here you need a bait that allows you to catch a bait that can then bring in the fish. Fishing is great, isn’t it?
- Thunderstorm Ray: Fish the “Moosehorn Hook”. You have 2 minutes to then fish the “Silver-scaled Minner”, which in turn serves as bait. In the following 2 minutes, you can catch the ray.
- Oodelfjisk: Fish the “Ancient Vrykul Ring”. Upon use, you can see schools of Oodelfjisk everywhere in Stormheim. Ride around until you find a school. From these schools, you are guaranteed to catch the right fish.
- Graybelly Lobster: Fish a “Slimy Dragon Scale”. The buff for 2 minutes allows you to fish the lobster.
The Fish of Suramar
In Suramar, we have to deal with sleepy Murlocs. Fortunately, there are many schools and large rivers, so the mission can be completed quickly.
- Besmirched Rune Scale Koi: Fish Demon Waste. When “used”, you then have 2 minutes to catch the koi.
- Seer Scale Pufferfish: Catch a “Sleeping Murloc”. When you use this, the Murloc appears and runs away in a zigzag. He leaves fish all over the ground. Walk over the fish to collect them – the right one should be among them.
- Magic Swallow Frog: Fish an “Enchanted Bait”. Yep, 2 minutes time.
The Fish of the Ocean
Finally, we are after the fish of the ocean. For this, you need to visit any coastal region. You are in the right place if you spot schools of black barracuda or are in the area called “The Great Sea”.
- Seabed Squid: Fish a “Stunned Angry Shark”. Caution: If you release it, the shark will appear and attack you. It moves very slowly, but it can kill you with 1-2 attacks! Kill it from a safe distance and then loot the squid from its corpse.
- Axe Fish: Fish the “Beer Bottle Message”. Inside is the Axe Fish bait, which you use. You have 2 minutes remaining to catch the fish.
- Ancient Black Barracuda: Fish a piece of “Decaying Whale Blubber”. When you use the item, the blubber lies on the ground. After a few seconds, a fly will come flying in that you can collect. Then use the fly to have 2 minutes time.
Starting the Questline
Have you caught all the rare fish and obtained the achievement “Big Fish”? Congratulations! The worst part is behind you! Now you can leisurely go to an area of your choice and check out different fish schools. Yes, fishing will continue. But at some point, you will receive the item “Glittering Pearl” while fishing, which starts a new quest. In this quest, you must first go to Khadgar, who will encouragingly pat your head because you brought him junk. Then proceed to the fountain of Dalaran, where you place the beautiful but useless orb. Thus ends the questline… for now.
As soon as you take a few steps away from the fountain, Nat Pagle will come running up to you and tell you that the fish are going crazy. Accompany him and thus start a solo scenario!
The scenario itself is not difficult: Kill all the Murlocs on the island (about 30), then fish the required number of fish from the various schools and defeat the “final boss”. Once you have done that, return to Dalaran to the fountain and claim your “Deeplight Angler”! Phew, what an effort.
Upgrading the Artifact Fishing Rod
To unlock the various talent points of the artifact fishing rod, you must supply it – like any other artifact weapon – with artifact power. However, this is not done through world quests or treasures, but through the rare fish that you already needed for the achievement. When you catch such a fish, it grants you 50 artifact power when released back into the water. It is important that you pull the fish ashore with the Deeplight Angler equipped! Only when you have the rod equipped can you fish these “new” fish.
Once enough artifact power has been accumulated, the Deeplight Angler can be upgraded at the fountain of Dalaran, just click on the large pearl. Note: Sometimes the pearl is not clickable, in which case re-logging or a “/reload” in the chat window can help.
The bonuses are not only suitable for anglers, but also for explorers. There are talents that allow you to breathe underwater and move very quickly. Additionally, there is Waterwalking. Craftsmen will be pleased about the chance to now also obtain “Blood of Sargeras” from the water – or how about a pair of stylish boots?
Pure anglers will enjoy an extended duration of baits and the chance to catch an entire school of fish with just one cast. A reduced aggro range while fishing is also useful.
One last tip: To quickly supply the artifact fishing rod with artifact power, it is particularly worthwhile to fish “Ghostly Queenfishes” in Azsuna, as the schools never run out. Remember to use Arcane Baits from Margoss so you can almost fish the rare fish indefinitely.
Have fun with your fishing rod!
