How to get the fishing rod in Harvestella

A fish in Harvestella.

A fish in Harvestella.

Harvestella, as the name suggests, is all about foraging for food and living off the land. Learning how to get the fishing rod in Harvestella is something you'll want to do early to make the most of the early days on the farm before the story pushes more and more responsibility onto you. Here's how it's done: because it isn't so straightforward at the start.

Figuring out how to fish in Harvestella can give you a really good source of income early on, bolstering your coffers and quickly earning you the Grilla you'll need to expand your farm, fix your kitchen, and unlock things like chickens and cows for more complex and productive seasons. It's well worth getting on fast.

For more on Harvestella, check out how to farm Grilla fast for some quick tips you can use early on to fast-track your game. We've even gone over how to craft the hammer. That's another essential tool you'll need if you're hoping to make the most out of your farm.

How to get the fishing rod in Harvestella

As soon as you get free roam around your farm, you're likely to wander onto the bridge, see a little fish icon, and try to toss your rod in. But you don't have one. In a classic carrot and stick moment, you'll be told that you don't have a fishing rod, and nobody around will tell you how to get one. That's where we come in.

In reality, you can't actually get a fishing rod in Harvestella. Not in the way the fishing node suggests. You can't craft one like a hammer, you can't buy one, and nobody will outright give you one.

The Harvestella fishing knowledge book unlocks the fishing rod.
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Instead, you have to save up 800 Grilla and head to the shop in town. There, you should see the Fishing Knowledge item as the second on the shopkeeper's list. This "makes it possible to fish" in more ways than one. It's not just a license to fish with you still requiring a fishing rod to actually do the job.

As soon as you buy the Fishing Knowledge item and back out of the menu, you'll be told how to actually reel in carp and other creatures. With the book unlocked, your multi-purpose farming tool will become the coveted Harvestella fishing rod automatically when you interact with a fishing node.

The Eversweetfish caught in Harvestella.
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How to catch fish in Harvestella

Once you've unlocked the fishing rod in Harvestella, you need to head to a fishing spot. These are usually on bridges over streams early on, but ponds, wider rivers, fountains, and wells could all have fishing node icons on them as you progress through the game.

To catch a fish in Harvestella, you need to interact with the icon to throw your rod and then wait patiently until your float is completely pulled beneath the drink. There can be fakeouts when it's only nipped at, which won't result in a catch if you attempt to reel it in.

So long as you press the button with a second or two of a fish pulling your line all the way under the water, you'll reel in a fish after a dramatic struggle. You don't have to tap repeatedly or play another mini-game. Just tap it and wait.

For more on Harvestella, check out how to swap the confirm and cancel buttons if that's been annoying you this whole time. You can only do it on PC. And if you haven't actually started already, check out the Harvestella character customization options guide to see how you can make your perfect little farmer.