Fishing Hole

The Fishing Hole, also known as the Fishing Pond, is a location that has appeared in several games of The Legend of Zelda series. It usually consists of a small, secluded area in which Link, for a small fee, is allowed to roam freely and fish wherever he wants. The Fishing Holes are usually home to a variety of prices that the young hero can receive by catching a record-size fish.

Link's Awakening
The Fishing Hole first appears in Link's Awakening. The Koholint Island fishing pond is located north of Madam MeowMeow's house in Mabe Village.

It costs 10 Rupees to be allowed to fish. Link is rewarded Rupees depending on the size of the fish he catches: 5 Rupees for a runt and 20 Rupees for a lunker. One of the lunkers yields a Piece of Heart the first time it is caught.

Link can continue playing the game until the fishing hole is completely empty. It will remain empty until leaving the area. After that, Link can return and catch all of the fish again.

Ocarina of Time
The Fishing Pond in Ocarina of Time is located in a small island of Lake Hylia. The pond is open at any time, and for the small price of 20 Rupees, the Fisherman hands Link a fishing rod and allows him to fish for an unlimited time. Every time Link catches a fish, he will be asked whether he wants to keep it or not, but he can only keep one fish at a time. Any fish that he shows to the fisherman will be weighed and, depending on whether it breaks the current record, it will be kept inside a fish tank near the entrance that shows off the size and the name of the owner who caught it. Along with having the fish displayed, Link will also be rewarded with prizes depending on whether he is a child or an adult. If the young hero catches a record-breaking fish, he will be given a Piece of Heart as a child and a Golden Scale as an adult. However, the young hero can only use the regular lure to catch fish since sinking lures are strictly prohibited and will grant the fishing pond owner the right to deny Link a prize. The fish will still be put inside the fish tank, but it will include a note stating the illegal use of the sinking lure.

The size of the fish that Link can catch vary on the time period. During the past, Link can only catch fish that are 10 or 11 pounds maximum. Once he returns to the fishing hole as an adult, the fish will all have grown, making the biggest fish at least 21 pounds. Moreover, the notorious Hylian Loach is also only available for catch after the young hero has received the Golden Scale as an adult. Most of the larger fish can be found either in the middle of the pond or near other obstacles like the tree trunks sticking out of the water.

There are four rules posted in a sign near the pond. They include:


 * No sinking lures
 * No littering
 * No running
 * No casting at anyone

All of the rules above can be easily broken but will not cause Link to get kicked out of the pond. The fourth rule is only added after adult Link casts his fishing rod at the fisherman, which causes it to catch his hat, revealing his bald spot.

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, the fishing hole is located in the Upper Zora River and is known as Hena's Fishing Hole. It is owned by Hena, a young fishing enthusiast who may be a possible descendant of the Fisherman from Ocarina of Time. The area contains a large lake and Hena's hut that includes fishing guides, fishing discounts, a small marble minigame sidequest known as Rollgoal, and an opportunity to win the coveted Frog Lure. The fishing hole in Twilight Princess is unique in that each time Link enters the pond, the scenery changes to match that of the four seasons. The default season is spring; however, if Link reenters the fishing hole, the atmosphere will change to that of summer, and so on. This becomes important when seeking to catch the Hylian Loach, since the rare fish can only be caught during summertime.

Inside of Hena's cabin, Link can examine various things around the shop to make Hena comment about the said object or picture, which can be seen as a way that Nintendo uses to satirize some of Link's infamous behaviors, such as him not taking his hat off upon entering a building or going around breaking other people's jars. There are also various pictographs of Hena and her siblings catching fish, as well as a picture of the Fisherman from Ocarina of Time holding the legendary Hylian Loach. If the young hero observes the small game located near the cabin entrance, he will be given an opportunity to win the Frog Lure by playing Hena's handmade game called Rollgoal.

Just like in Ocarina of Time, there is a large fish tank especially made for customers where Hena keeps the biggest of each fish type that gets brought in. At first there are only Greengills inside the tank, but Link can fill it up with four more types of fish provided he catches them by lure fishing.

Unlike Ocarina of Time where only one type of fish could be caught, the fishing hole in Twilight Princess is home to a large variety of fish. They are the Greengill, which are the most common type of fish and can only be caught while bobber fishing, the Hylian Bass, the Hylian Pike, the Ordon Catfish, and the Hylian Loach.

In order to try lure fishing, Link must first consult with Hena, who will allow Link to use both the fishing rod and the canoe. Link can fish alone with unlimited time for just 20 Rupees; however, for 100 Rupees, Hena will join Link and advise him on several things such as the best spot to fish, but won't allow the use of a sinking lure, as she believes it is cheating and harmful to the fishes and environment. She will, however, allow him to use three different types of floating lures: the swimmer, popper, and spinner types.

Hena also allows bobber fishing, which is open to the public and is completely free. By using Link's bobber fishing rod, the young hero can stand in the shore and cast for as long as he wants; however, any fish he catches while bobber fishing cannot be and will not be put inside Hena's fish tank. Instead, they will be recorded on the Fish Journal.

Inside the Fishing Hole, Link can also receive two important items for his quest: a Piece of Heart and an empty bottle. The Piece of Heart is located above a small cliff in the middle of the pond and can only be caught while lure fishing by casting the fishing rod at it. The bottle is found in a small, closed-off area near the bridge on the east side of the fishing hole and is caught by casting using the bobber fishing rod.

Beta Fishing Hole


Here are some screenshots from the beta swamp (most likely to be the Fishing Hole). Link still has his old dress (that, by the way, it is a little different from the released game) thus suggesting that this fishing zone was near the Ordon Village, also because in the first playable demo of Twilight Princess Link can use the canoe to explore the village. Probably in the beta the Ordon river was much bigger, connecting the village with the beta woods.