Hylian Loach

The Hylian Loach is a large, rare fish that appears in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The loach looks like a cross between the catfish and the pike, with an eel-like body and ornate swirl patterns down the length of its body. They generally weigh in at about 29-36 pounds.

Finding the loach
The loach appears purely by random at the fishing pond near Lake Hylia. The best way to find it it's by equipping the Zora Tunic and the Iron Boots, and then entering the water and scanning the sand floor and the area around the lily pads. If you don't find it the first time just exit the area, enter again, and repeat the process. Keep doing this until you find it, this may take around 10-15 tries sometimes.

Fishing the loach
These are the easiest ways to catch the loach:


 * 1- After spotting the loach, pay to get a fishing rod and go back to the pond. Wait until the loach is on the area under the lily pads, then throw the bait in front of it (clear the area of other fish if necessary), reel the bait at a moderate speed so that the loach notices it, then get ready for the fishing of your life, as it usually takes 3-4 minutes to catch the loach.


 * 2- Find the sinker's lure, locate the loach, wait until night fall (since the loach notices the lure mostly at night thus making the odds better for you) then throw the lure so it falls on front of the fish. Wiggle it a little, and when he bites, just reel it in.

The prize
When you take the fish to the pond's owner he will tell you that the fish population's number has decreased and that he will release it, then he gives you fifty Rupees. The only real prize behind catching this fish is the satisfaction of catching a legendary fish and knowing that you had done everything possible in the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Hylian Loaches can be found at Hena's Fishing Hole in the summer time around the lilypads. "Baby" loaches can be found by using sinking lures, and a grown one can only be fished by using the frog lure while fishing from a canoe. Hylian Loaches are apparently still legendary, and Hena is remarkably impressed when Link catches one.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

 * A portrait of the Hylian Loach can be seen in the middle of the Old Wayfarer's house on Banaan Island.

Other appearances

 * When you catch a loach on Animal Crossing a message appears that says "You don't think it's Hylian, do you?".