Fishing in RuneScape: Dragonwilds is as straightforward as it comes in terms of casting your line, but unlocking the ability to do so in the first place is a little more challenging. The game doesn't exactly hold your hand or give you a starting rod. Instead, you need to craft your own gear first before learning how to use it.
Fortunately, you don't need to be any level or have any major quests complete to unlock fishing. Given you've got the right materials, it can be one of the first skills you dedicate the majority of your time to, or just a particularly relaxing passtime. Here's what you need to do to become an avid angler.
How to fish in RuneScape: DragonwildsThe first step to unlocking fishing as a skill in RuneScape: Dragonwilds is crafting a coarse net. To do so, you'll need to take the following materials to a crafting table:2x Coarse ThreadOnce crafted, head to Bramblemead Valley and speak to the Wise Old Man in the derelict building about fishing. He will give you the Shrimp Catcher quest, which tasks you with catching a sardine and bringing it to him.
But as the name suggests, you'll need to start with catching shrimp as you don't have the skill to craft a rod yet. Take your Coarse Net to the pond north of the tower between Temple Woods and Bramblemead Valley and wade into the patches of water with white ripples—these are specifically net fishing spots. Repeatedly use your net here to catch everything from weeds, to stones, to raw shrimps, until you hit level 3 which didn't take me much time at all.
Then, you'll unlock the crafting recipe for an Ash Rod. You'll need these materials to craft one:1x Ash Log1x Coarse ThreadHead back to the pond between Temple Woods and Bramblemead Valley, and look for the bigger circles of ripples. Unlike the smaller, bubbling rings for net fishing, rod fishing spots are much bigger and you can see fish swimming around below the surface.
When you've found one, stand on the edge and hold the left mouse button to cast your line. If you don't have any bait attached to your rod, there's a high chance you'll automatically reel in "junk", however if a fish nibbles your line, it'll start being pulled left and right. The key here is to use the A and D keys to pull the line in the opposite direction to where the fish is travelling.
This will tire it out, letting you reel it in with the left mouse button. You may need to repeat this process of tiring the fish out before reeling it in before you pull it from the water. Your first catch here is likely to be the sardine you need for the Shrimp Catcher quest, so head back to the Wise Old Man and hand it over.
In return, he will give you the following items: 1 x Tome of Fishing3 x Shrimp Bait3 x Feather BaitOnce this quest is completed you're free to take your rod and fish wherever you fancy. Nothing can stop you from spending all of your time fishing, actually. That's definitely what I plan on doing.