Introduction and Requirements
The final stages of the attunement to the Black Temple, would seem to require a rare fish called "Djakar" to be caught. Some would say this fish is impossibly hard to catch, but perhaps this guide will help prove otherwise.
Before attempting to catch Djakar, you will need the following:
- Complete Serpentshrine Cavern and Mount Hyjal. These require gaining access to almost every dungeon except the Black Temple itself.
- Complete the quest line "Master Them All" (from A'Dal in Shattrath). You do not need to complete the "Hero's Call" series of quests.
- Fishing skill, gear and lures to reach 615. I recommend at least 565 (see below). You must have 375 personal fishing skill.
A Better Fishing Pole
Although completing every major dungeon as a hero may seem arduous, this is nothing compared to the frustration of trying to catch Djakar with just 527 fishing skill (375 base skill, Aquadynamic Fish Attractor, all the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza gear, and even Enchant Gloves - Fishing). However, there are two little-known fishing poles, which can be used to improve your skill beyond 527:
- Apply High Test Eternium Fishing Line (gained by catching a Dezian Queenfish during the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza) to Nat Pagle's Fish Terminator, while standing next to Pat Nagle in the Old Hillsbrad Foothills - you must have first successfully escorted Thrall. This will return the pole to its original state, with a stunning +75 bonus to fishing. Nat Pagle's Fish Terminator can sometimes be recovered from the corpse of Gahz'ranka in Zul'Gurub. (Gahz'ranka can only be summoned once per visit - the summoner must have completed the quest "Nat's Measuring Tape", then use a Mudskunk Lure loaded with 5 Zulian Mudskunk at Pagle's Point.)
- Feed Mr. Pinchy (see Catching Furious Crawdad and Mr. Pinchy) a stack of Felblood Snapper ((simply have a stack of 20 in your inventory when you use Mr. Pinchy)) between 00:00 and 06:00, anywhere in Shadowmoon Valley. There is rare chance that this will summon "Luminous Mr. Pinchy", a rare elite boss. On death, Luminous Mr. Pinchy may drop "El's Extreme Anglin' Pole", which also has a +75 bonus to fishing. Luminous Mr. Pinchy will disappear after 10 minutes for no apparent reason, so must be killed quickly. While alive, it casts an annoying spell "Entrap Fishermen", which will mind-control anyone in Outland with fishing gear equipped, forcing them to defend Luminous Mr. Pinchy with their fishing poles.
Djakar and Phased Schools
After completing Mount Hyjal, visit Nat Pagle in Dustwallow Marsh to start the quest "Find Djakar". This requires 375 personal fishing skill - but you'll need that to catch anything anyway.
Enter either one of the Coilfang Reservoir dungeons as a hero ((heroic mode)) or Serpentshrine Cavern. The advantages/disadvantages of each are discussed below - the method is the same for all. You must participate in killing all the "bosses": You cannot simply enter after someone else has cleared the dungeons - this isn't Karazhan.
Once all the bosses have been killed, listen carefully for a faint echoing laugh coming from somewhere deep in the cave. This is the trigger for the first appearance of pools called "Phased School". Phased Schools can only be seen by those with the quest "Find Djakar" on their log - this often leads to others in the party doubting the sanity or sobriety of the fisherman or woman in the group, particularly if after two hours they still haven't managed to catch Djakar. Don't be deterred!
Phased Schools are the only type of pool known to spawn and de-spawn without any fishing activity taking place. They are also the only pool that cannot be fished with skill 1 (thanks Gizel). The easiest way to spot a Phased School appearing is a shard of purple "light" beaming down from the roof of the cave. Once spawned, the pool will only last about 60 seconds (although precise timing varies from 45 seconds to 90 seconds) - so you should fish the pool as soon as it appears. For a basic introduction to pool fishing, read the Pools and Wreckage chapter. When the pool de-spawns, a second beam of purple light will be seen rising back up to the cave roof. As soon as the pool de-spawns, another pool will spawn somewhere else in the dungeon. There is always just one pool active, but at an (apparently) random location. After two hours, you will hear another faint laugh, and the pools will stop appearing: If you haven't gained Djakar, you'll have to come back next week and try again.
Do not swim over a Phased School. Doing this will cause the angler to be teleported to a remote rock floating in Netherstorm. They will then be unable to use their flying mount for a further two hours.
Strategy
The best strategy for spotting new pools is to spread the entire party out across the dungeon. This improves the chances that someone in the party will manage to find and fish each pool that appears. The main disadvantage with spreading the party across the dungeon are the "trash" respawns: It is highly likely that monsters you thought you'd killed 30 minutes earlier will suddenly wake up, just as a fresh Phased School appears. And there is nothing more annoying than having an elite monster suddenly creep up on you while fishing, just when you thought you'd killed everything!
Phased Schools require a base skill of 520 to cast a line. If your skill is less than 615, a proportion of your fish will get away (see The Role of Skill (Original)). Since each pool typically only exists long enough to cast once, you should seek to minimise the proportion that get away. Even with 567 skill (using the modified Fish Terminator, or El's Extreme Anglin' Pole), half your casts will "get away". Expect this to be quite frustrating!
About 1 in 150 catches from Phased Schools will be Djakar, however this is variable, and some people report over 500 catches before finding Djakar. Some dwarves have suggested that the catch rate is better after the inns shut at about 23:00, but this has not been confirmed. The remainder of the catch will be primarily Raw Greater Sagefish ((this is assumed to be a bug, since these fish are not found anywhere else in Outland - added: timski suggests that this may be due to Phased Schools acting as temporal portals, dragging fish from Azeroth to Outland)). There is no evidence that the legendary Ashbringer can also be caught from these pools.
Djakar is bound to the angler on pickup, so be careful when removing fish from your line too quickly. Once caught, Djakar has a 10 minute duration, so must be delivered to Nat Pagle as quickly as possible to complete the quest. It is recommended that you either set your heathstone in Dustwallow Marsh, or organise a group to summon you there.
Coilfang or Serpentshrine?
There is no evidence that the catch rate for Djakar varies between Coilfang Reservoir and Serpentshrine Cavern. So which should you choose?
- Coilfang Reservoir contains 5-man dungeons, which are easier to find a group for. The battles are generally regarded as easier, and the "trash" respawns less annoying. The main disadvantage is that the dungeons can only contain 5 people, which makes spotting new Phased Schools hard.
- Serpentshrine Cavern is a 25-man dungeon, so it is possible to spread your group out such that all areas of water are continually being watched for new Phased Schools. However, since only those with the quest "Find Djakar" can see Phased Schools, it is likely that not everyone in the group will be able to watch for the pools.
Learn More
- Black Temple Attunement - Official guide to the complete attunement chain. 1 April 2007.
- Pools and Wreckage - Describes how to fish pools such as schools or floating debris, where to find pools, and how to efficiently fish them.
- The Burning Crusade - Fishing changes in the first expansion.
- Gnobbers - Suspend your bait in style! 1 April 2009.
- Aquarium - Previews the Aquarium in Cataclysm. 1 April 2010.
- April Fools' Day - Erm. Yes. It's a hoax.
