Why Fish in Hostile Territory?
Most territory belonging to the opposing faction (Horde vs Alliance) contains the same fish as friendly home territory. For example, the waters of Mulgore are similar to Elwynn Forest. However, there are a few Fishing Achievements that require anglers to venture into hostile capitals to fish:
- The Fishing Diplomat - Fish something up in Orgrimmar and Stormwind.
- Old Crafty - Catch Old Crafty in Orgrimmar.
- Old Ironjaw - Catch Old Ironjaw in Ironforge.
This guide will help anglers to fish in enemy capital cities, and complete these achievements.
General Tips and Strategies
Some of the rare catches may require hours of fishing. You can retire ((log out)) in hostile cities, so you do not need to fish all day long ((you will not gain a rested XP bonus)). You cannot set your hearthstone or use vendors inside an enemy city, so plan to be away from home some time: Getting into a hostile city is often the hardest part. If you are fishing for a rare fish, remember that you can throw unwanted catches back in ((delete them from your bags)) to save bag space.
You will be "flagged PvP" when you enter an opposing faction's capital. This means anyone can attempt to kill you. Expect to be mercilessly slaughtered by members of the other faction. You can defend yourself against anyone that attacks you, but each "local" defender you kill tends to alert 2 more. Unless you are travelling with a large group of raiders, it is best to avoid combat if possible.
If you die, your ghost will appear in the graveyard of the town outside the capital: Not the nearest graveyard. For example, Razor Hill graveyard for an Alliance death in Orgrimmar. You will then need to run back to your corpse and resurrect as normal. Try to avoid dying under the feet of several guards...
Szarsky writes: "For those who don't want a repair bill... run naked... and watch the Horde [or Alliance] scream." Heath notes that, "your gear might just buy you a few more seconds to find a guard-free spot before you die."
Capital cities are typically defended by level 75 guards. These either patrol or guard places like gateways. Guards use abilities that limit movement. For example, guards in Ironforge afflict invaders with Thunderclap (movement speed reduced by 67%) and have nets. Some patrols have stealth-detection abilities, such as the Thief Catchers in Ironforge. Riding as far away from guards as possible will allow high-level anglers to evade most guards. Just don't stop! Lower-level anglers will suffer very high numbers of deaths. While it is possible to enter hostile cities at low level, it is not recommended.
Other members of the opposing faction are not so easy to evade. The best strategy is to enter capital cities at quiet times of day. But even at 5 o'clock in the morning, there will be people about. Elixir of Camouflage helps, since it prevents Hunters from tracking you. Hunters are the most likely to spot you with their tracking ability.
Vanyalosswen writes: "Turn off any titles you may have. In an enemy player's vision, 'Bob of the Shattered Sun' makes a much larger patch of red over your head than just 'Bob'."
As discussed in detail below, you should select a fishing position that is well hidden: Behind an object and not visible from a nearby path. Sit down in shallow water, which makes you slightly much harder to spot. The ability to "sleep" while fishing was removed by patch 3.3. Your fishing bobber will float above the surface, and will splash, creating a noise. So anyone very close will be able to spot you.
There are many different enemy reactions to spotting you fishing:
- Wave hello, sit down and start fishing. Keep smiling, and hope the "enemy" doesn't suddenly turn hostile.
- Ignore you and move on.
- Attack and (generally) kill you, then leave.
- Attack you, and keep on attacking you for... hours. The worst type of relentless attacker is one that does not kill you. Instead the attacker stands at range throwing DoTs at you, or saps you, which prevents you from fishing.
The first 2 reactions mean you should never engage an enemy until they engage you. The most annoying reaction is the relentless attacker. Always remember that you don't have to resurrect at your corpse immediately.
Remember to use class and race-specific abilities. Some of these are obvious, like using stealth (instead of riding). Most classes have some ability that will help, such as a magic shield to be used when riding past guards, or a Soulstone that saves a corpse run.
Trinkets may also help, such as Medallion of the Alliance (removes movement impairing effects), and Darkmoon Card: Twisting Nether (chance to resurrect). Items like the Orb of Deception (which transform your appearance) or Savory Deviate Delight may help disguise you from some enemy, however guards will still attack you.
Ironforge
Should I be describing how to infiltrate my adopted home of Ironforge? Promise that you have only come to fish!
The dwarves have defended Ironforge very well. It is a hard city for Horde to get into, but fishing is fairly easy. The direct method of entering Ironforge is described first. There is an alternative method via Stormwind described below, which is particularly useful for any angler using stealth.
Horde should fly to Kargath in The Badlands. Ride north into Loch Modan, then west, along the southern fringe of Loch Modan. Travel through the Trogg areas, avoiding the Alliance town of Thelsamar. Aim for the Southern Gate Pass, which is north of the Searing Gorge gate. The pass takes you into Dun Morogh.
There are some level 30 dwarven patrols on the roads, which should not be a problem for higher-level anglers. Other dwarves in the area are typically very low level, and probably too busy mining to notice you.
Follow the road west until close to Kharanos. You will see Ironforge built into the mountain to the north. Make any final preparations, and ride up the path towards the gates: Guards along the path are level 75, and will react to you. At the top of the path, you will see the entrance to Ironforge. Members of the Alliance often duel each other here. There is a very strong chance they will opt to "duel" you. Keep moving. The guards behind you are.
Thiealze offers an alternative route: "Horde visitors to Ironforge can use the Booty Bay to Gnomeregan transporters. It's a very short trip from Orgrimmar to Ratchet, then take the boat, and then the transporter located near the inn. Once you arrive at Gnomeregan, simply ride east until you reach the hill leading up to the gates of the city." Gummo adds, "you only need to be at least level 20 and start the quest Chief Engineer Scooty in Orgrimmar."
Ride into Ironforge. Go left at the main entrance, turn the corner, and keep left. The area you just rode into is The Commons. There will always be members of the Alliance idling here, but if you keep to the left, you will avoid most of them. Avoid the large pit that runs through this part of Ironforge: If you fall in, find the ramp back up to "street level".
By this stage, you'll have about a dozen angry dwarven guards, and possibly a few other members of the Alliance chasing you. Up ahead is the Mystic Ward.
Keep riding into the Forlorn Cavern. Ride through the narrow entrance on the north-east side of the Mystic Ward. You will "aggro" 2 guards here, but you should have lost all the guards from the entrance by now. On the southern side of the Forlorn Cavern is a large pool. You will be fishing here. Try and get right into the back of the cave. Now deal with whoever is chasing you... or die. Note that riding through the Forlorn Cavern and into the neighboring Hall of Explorers will not evade the guards: You will simply alert a new pair of guards at the opposite entrance to the Forlorn Cavern.
Once inside the Forlorn Cavern you should be able to fish: Few Alliance come here, and most of them are low-level (for training). The cave is dark, and if you keep a low profile (sit down), most of those that do come will not see you.
Spleen writes: "If you're unlucky enough to be [corpse] camped, go around into the Great Forge as a ghost and resurrect inside one of the buildings. Your corpse will disappear from where it was on the other side of the wall, and the alliance will have no idea where you are."
Stormwind (and on to Ironforge)
Horde only need one catch in Stormwind to complete The Fishing Diplomat. There are no rare fish to catch. There may be need to enter the city of Stormwind at all: The achievement has been completed by fishing from Stormwind Harbor.
Fly to Grom Gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale, then ride/swim north up the coast to Westfall. Ride along the coast to avoid most Alliance in the area. At the northern border of Westfall swim north-west. Swim along the base of the cliffs until you see one of the piers of Stormwind Harbor. There are a few places at the base of the cliff where you can stand and fish. Alternatively, keep swimming north until you reach the lighthouse island, and fish there. Tithegha notes that you can use a water walking ability or Elixir of Water Walking to stand in the sea and fish.
On fishing in Stormwind itself, Griezz writes: "If you carefully search the moat [at the main city entrance], hugging the city-side edge of the moat as much as possible, you will find a very small part of the moat's wall where you can stand and the text above the minimap actually says 'Stormwind'."
Having trouble getting to the Forlorn Cavern in Ironforge? Oberweiss suggests riding into the city of Stormwind, round the canals to the Dwarven District, and into the Deeprun Tram. There are no guards in the Deeprun Tram, giving you plenty of time to enjoy this marvel of Gnomish technology, as it speeds you from Stormwind to Ironforge. When you arrive in Ironforge, ride into Tinker Town, turn right, and ride north and west, through the Hall of Explorers, to the Forlorn Cavern. These are all quiet areas of Ironforge.
The most difficult part of this is the ride through the Market District, which tends to be full of Alliance. Instead enter via Stormwind Harbor (thanks donquixote235). Swim to the north end of Stormwind Harbor, near the boat yard. There are no guards in this area. Mount and ride up the ramps to the main city of Stormwind. You will need to evade several guards, including a few patrols. However, these guards are only level 65. Once you reach the main city, ride through the Cathedral District to your left, and then across the canal to the Dwarven District. The only guards here are patrolling, and can be avoided.
Orgrimmar
Orgrimmar is easier to enter than Ironforge, but probably harder to fish in.
Alliance should fly to Ratchet in The Barrens, then ride north along the west side of the Southfury River (which runs along the border with Durotar). Avoid the Horde guard-towers.
Orgrimmar will be visible to the north-east. The city has 2 entrances. The main gates, on the southern side of the city, open out into The Valley of Strength. This area is always packed with Horde, and almost impossible to ride through without being killed. So we'll be using the "broken" side gate, on the west side of the city. Horde tend to refer to the gate as broken, because it is so easy for the Alliance to use it to enter Orgrimmar.
The Southfury River continues past Orgrimmar, north to Azshara. Before a small waterfall, you will see a heavily guarded bridge, which crosses the river into Orgrimmar. There are 5-6 guards on the bridge, all of which you will alert. Make any final preparations, and ride across. Once inside the city, keep riding! Stay off the road to avoid patrols. Just before you reach the Valley of Spirits, the guards chasing you will leave you in peace. An alternative may be to use Invisibility (as a mage, or Invisibility Potion) to sneak past all the guards on the bridge.
Now you have 2 options:
- Fish in The Valley of Spirits.
- Continue riding into Orgrimmar, until you reach The Valley of Honor.
The Valley of Spirits is a lot easier to get to, but a lot more Horde travel through the area, so you will need to remain well-hidden. The Valley of Honor is a far more dangerous ride, but is easier to hide in.
If you fish in The Valley of Spirits, find a location at the back of the pool, either behind a rock, or behind the large troll-style hut. There are a lot of Horde trainers in this area, but these will not attack you - just avoid the nearby guard. Horde frequently arrive here via portal, but tend to immediately mount up and ride away. Elixir of Camouflage is almost essential to avoid Hunters, and the noise created by your splashing bobber can still reveal your position.
To reach The Valley of Honor, continue riding along the path, as it curves left, then right past The Valley of Wisdom into The Drag. About half-way along The Drag, on the left side, is the entrance to The Valley of Honor. There are a lot of guards along this route, including groups of guards at the entrance to The Drag and The Valley of Honor.
If you manage to reach The Valley of Honor, aim for the north-west side of the small lake. Look for the rocks and waterfall. This will be far enough that most of the guards stop chasing. It is easy to sit on a rock behind the waterfall, and fish. You will be practically invisible to Horde in the area if you use Elixir of Camouflage, as Capo notes: "The downside of this is your fishing right below the hunter trainer." The noise of the waterfall will cover some of your bobber splashes.
There is (was) an alternative option for catching a specific fish in Orgrimmar. It may not be possible with patch 3.1 - read this discussion. During the quest, Fate, Up Against Your Will, Alliance can enter Orgrimmar without being attacked by Horde - and fish. Any fish normally caught in Orgrimmar can be caught during the quest, including Old Crafty. The quest chain starts in Dragonblight, following the battle at Angrathar the Wrath Gate. Once you arrive in Orgrimmar, simply walk outside of Thrall's throne room. Once you have finished fishing, return to Thrall to continue the quest chain. (Thanks Kahless and others.)
Fishing in this "phased" Orgrimmar may not allow you to complete the achievement, The Fishing Diplomat - read this discussion.
On the Forums
- Old Ironjaw in 42 min - Includes many cross-faction tips.
- Old Crafty!! - Orgrimmar tips and discussion.
- Old Ironjaw - More tips and experiences.
- Old Ironjaw, The Fishing Diplomat, and the Horde - Entry into Ironforge via Stormwind.
- The Fishing Diplomat - An Alliance Druid's Strategy @ 70 - Tips from Apraxia.
- Fishing in phased Orgrimmar? - Did patch 3.1 remove it?
Learn More
- Fishing Achievements - Introduction to fishing-related personal achievements.
- Wrath of the Lich King - Fishing changes in Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion to World of Warcraft.
- Stuff of legends: Old Ironjaw - Includes tips for entering Ironforge as Horde.
- Catching Furious Crawdad and Mr. Pinchy - Mr. Pinchy's Magical Crawdad Box.
- Catching the Sea Turtle Mount - Turtles All the Way Down.
- Contests - Master Angler of Azeroth.
- Dalaran Fishing - The Coin Master, I Smell A Giant Rat, A Penny For Your Thoughts, Silver in the City, and There's Gold In That There Fountain.
- Northrend Daily Fishing Quests - Chasing Marcia.
- One That Didn't Get Away - One That Didn't Get Away.
- Other Equipment - Fish Don't Leave Footprints.
- Outland Daily Fishing Quests - Old Man Barlowned.
- Pools and Wreckage - The Old Gnome and the Sea.
- Salty - Accomplished Angler.
- The Deadliest Catch - The Deadliest Catch.
- The Lurker Above - The Lurker Above.
- Wrath of the Lich King Pools - Northrend Angler.
Comments about Cross-Faction Fishing
Below are readers' comments about "Cross-Faction Fishing":
Old Ironjaw, The Fishing Diplomat, and the Horde
donquixote235, October 2008:
Yesterday I found myself near Elwynn Forest, so I thought it would be a good time to pick up the Stormwind half of the Fishing Diplomat achievement.
I've found that ever since they changed the entry guards to be lvl 75 rather than 65, sneaking in through the front door is a no-no; even with +stealth trinkets working overtime, they see right through it. My Vanish only has about a 50% chance of getting them off my back. Instead I've discovered that the best way to get into Stormwind is to come the back way through the new harbor around back. You can swim there from the Westfall/Elwynn border, and the guards are all lvl 65. Keep in mind that fishing from Stormwind Harbor does NOT count toward your Fishing Diplomat achievement; you have to apparently fish from inside the city walls for the achievement to take.
I was able to stealth to the canals without much problem and grab my single catch. Since I was already in SW and the Deeprun Tram was not that far from me, I figured I'd take my chances at Old Ironjaw.
Stealthing to the tram was not a problem; I think there was a single guard I had to avoid on the way. Once I got into the tram I opted to run the rails rather than take the tram, as I was still flagged and I didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to myself.
I came out at Ironforge in Tinkertown, which is very close to the Forelorn Cavern. This was indeed much better than coming through the front door! This way I'd have to deal with at most 5 lvl 75 guards rather than the score or so that I'd have to deal with from the front entry. However 5 guards was about 5 more than I wanted to deal with!
I mounted up and started to make a mad dash toward the cavern. Sure enough, the first pair of guards aggroed me. I then rode straight into the middle of the second pair, and picked up their aggro as well. I was almost to the cavern when they dismounted me, so I dropped a Vanish and prayed. I got the message "Leaving Combat" and breathed a sigh of relief.
About one second later I encountered the fifth guard, whom I had not counted on. This guard pats the wall directly across from the cavern entrance. If I'd stuck to the south wall there's a very good chance I could have avoided him. I knew I was going to die but I figured I'd at least do it in a good position. So I ran for the water and managed to swim about halfway across the pool before I got killed.
After that, it was easy. I did the necessary corpse-run, edged myself against the south wall, did a /sleep command to bring a low profile, and started fishing.
At first I had the place entirely to myself. After a couple of minutes a Human Paladin showed up and I started to get worried; I really didn't want to fight anybody, I just wanted a nice pacifist fishing trip. After a few seconds he waved at me and proceeded to fish by my side. Awesome.
Every couple of minutes another Alliance character would ride by the pool. Most didn't even see me, but some would stop and look at me for a few seconds and then ride on. I only had one character try to pick on me, a Draenei Shaman. My solution to this was to Vanish and then move to another spot. He tried to locate me again but with no luck, and eventually went away. I then unstealthed and proceeded to start fishing again, and the two people who'd showed up there to fish cheered as I reappeared. What a great thing: cameradery between the factions, and all because of fishing!
Finally (after about 150-200 throws) I got my prize - Old Ironjaw. The two other fishermen cheered me again, I took a bow, and I hearthed the heck out of there.
In a nutshell, it's very possible and not that hard, as long as you come in through the back door at Stormwind and take the Deeprun Tram. Most people will ignore you (at least they did me) as long as you stick to fishing and don't try to fight anybody. If you are attacked it may even be best to take the blows and not fight back so that when you return the people who witnessed the battle know that you're not interested in fighting, just fishing.
Nosajje, October 2008:
SW Harbor is definitely the way to go when it comes to getting into SW and IF. My wife and I swam through westfall up into the harbor, got our catch for Fishing Diplomat, then ran into stockades to get Bazil kill achievement, then ran out and around through the park/dwarven district etc into town and took tram to IF. The whole time we never saw a single alliance.
Thander, October 2008:
I think your mileage may vary quite bit with this one. Running through stormwind to get to the tram without stealth might take awhile especially on a busy server. Then, the allis in Ironforge might not be so nice. Last, you may get unlucky catching Ironjaw and have to do >1000 catches. (increases your chances to get ganked greatly).
Kattora, October 2008:
Well I'm glad your time fishing wasn't horrific. But unfortunately, on Malygos, the Alliance forbid me to fish in their little pond. I've tried everything. Funky outfits, not fighting, emoting (/beg, /cower, /hug etc)...they always kill me, over and over. I even went as far as to log onto an alliance character I use for their AH and asked them nicely to let me fish... and I'd get a 'rofl' or a 'lol' and that's about it.
I don't know how I'm gonna get that fish, I'm a shaman, I have to suicide my way there. I die at least 2-3 times from guards before I get to my spot just to die from Alliance. >_<
Sleeping doesn't work, they can easily see you aren't dead. The giant red name above your body is what gives you away. If I could get my name into the wall and then /sleep, I'd be safe... but I can't. Why can't Blizzard place some rocks back there or something? >_< Alliance have several places to hide in Orgrimmar. I've seen them, and each time I do /greet and /cheer and leave them alone.Ironjaw seems so impossible to get. :(
I've got Old Crafty but obviously that is much easier to do as Horde.Jagent, October 2008:
Started fishing tonight around 2:30am, just caught Old Ironjaw at about 3:50am
Roughly 325 fish caught before him
Griezz, October 2008:
Actually, I earned the Stormwind ambassadorial acheivement... well, not easily, but in a different manner.
After crossing into Elwynn, I snuck through the countryside until I approached Stormwind's gates. Finally, I ran through the gates as quickly as possible. Trying hard to ignore the aggro'd guards (although I did die once), I immediately moved down the ramp to the right.
That's right. I did not go along the bridge into Stormwind proper. I made it into the city's moat.
Now here's the thing: if you CAREFULLY search the moat, hugging the city-side edge of the moat as much as possible, you WILL find a very small part of the moat's wall where you can stand and the text above the minimap actually says "Stormwind". Once you find this sweet spot, it's just a matter of pulling in a single fish, and you've got the acheivement (or this portion of it, anyways).
Chalmette, October 2008:
I did the Stormwind portion of fishing diplomat simply by swimming up towards the harbor from Westfall for a bit until the map said I had zoned in to Stormwind, and then I found a little hill along the cliffs and fished. Got the achievement as easy as that.
Whisper, October 2008:
Thanks for the tips, I'm trying this tonight
el, October 2008:
I investigated this (on the beta server, because "live" Stormwind is plagued with zombies), and I'm inclined to agree it is easier to enter via the Harbor, since there are far fewer guards, and they are lower level. I've updated the guide with this and some other suggestions. Keep the strategies coming!
It is possible that the Stormwind catch criteria has changed. When I checked it last week (again on beta realms) fishing immediately to the south of the southern-most pier in the Harbor, triggered the achievement.
Upstate, October 2008:
While the zombies are attacking Shattrath you can become a zombie and use the portal to get to opposing faction city. In both Orgrimmar and Ironforge it takes you right to the fishing area.
will, October 2008:
I wanted to post for you horde members out there.
You will have to scroll down a bit to find the picture and info. Keep in mind that you will still get ganked but at a much lesser rate.
Essentially you will be fishing on an invisible ledge in the lava. Finding the ledge initially is a pain but well worth it. I was able to fish for over an hour before my first visitor, who did not kill me.
For a total of about three hours I fished there getting killed twice. The funny thing is the cost of one honorable kill is equal to a 3-4 gold repair bill. The two attackers that I did have also died in the lava.
Hopefully this will help some of you get your achievement.
el, October 2008:
I presume the repair bills are for those that attempt to attack you, but fall into the lava doing so.
To be honest, I thought the fish had been removed from the lava. Not to mention that it shouldn't be possible to jump down to the lava, or stand on an invisible ledge once you get there. Anyone know if it is possible to fish in "Old Ironforge" too?
donquixote235, October 2008:
el wrote:
It is possible that the Stormwind catch criteria has changed. When I checked it last week (again on beta realms) fishing immediately to the south of the southern-most pier in the Harbor, triggered the achievement.
I tried fishing from that slope just south of the southern dock with no success about ten days ago, but it's possible that even though I was technically in Stormwind my cast was not. Since there are two posts on here that refute my experience, I'd have to lean toward those experiences.
Illuthas, October 2008:
I just caught my Old Ironjaw too,though i did the diplomat achievement long before it since i was gonna do MGT,anyway i tried it yesterday and then on my way there i found 2 other ppl heading to IF too to fish him up,we teamed up and through the main gate we got there,badly was that there were 10 allies there fishing,and there were always a few killing us.
Then i spotted some ghost hordes wanting to fish there too,sadly my group gave up to try later but i teamed up with the guys that were dead there.
Normally there were 4 ppl in that group,1 that wanted to fish but wasnt there yet,1 that was already fishing there and then 2 that were helping him.
They kept on killing us so one that was helping logged on his ally,a lvl11 warlock.After a long conversasion we couldnt understand the one that was already fishing there left.30 sec later the helper came back so they started helping me,it seems the talk worked since they didnt attack me anymore so i could just fish and 100th catch i caught Old Ironjaw (saw it with FB).
To all ppl that get attacked while trying there,make an ally and try to reason them.Micha, October 2008:
I made my life a lot easier by grabbing Old Ironjaw pre-3.0, but it's still very possible now. There are a few things to note as general rules.
First of all, if you're a hunter who PvP's regularly, you know how obvious an enemy player in your city is. People who PvP a lot are trained to spot that red dot on their minimap, even when they're not looking directly at it, and this will give you away more than anything else. That's why you need to keep Aspect of the Beast up if you're a hunter. Luckily, if you're not a hunter, there is something else you can get to counter tracking. Camouflage Potions. Pop one of these babies, and you can't be tracked. I strongly recommend getting a stack of these items before you make your attempt.
Lastly, there is a gap between you respawning and you showing up on track, meaning that if you respawn and immediately hit beast or quaff a potion, hunters will never see you reappear. If they're stupid, they'll figure you spirit healed. If they're smart, they will hit /target yourname and realize you're still around, but they still won't know exactly where you are (though they might then send their pet and follow it). Most hunters are stupid, though.
If you don't spend a lot of time in enemy cities, here is another tip. It's not only guards you have to watch for. It's quest NPC's too. If you get spotted by some of them, they will drop you right into combat, and they will instantly spawn guards that will aggro onto you. Others will aggro nearby guards. So your objective is to avoid both if possible.
Lastly, here's one for rogues. If you spend a lot of time in enemy cities, you are aware that every city has one or more "rogue killer" guards. Prior to Wrath, these guys remained at 60, so they weren't a huge danger. With Wrath, Blizzard decided to bump them _way_ up. These guys will spot you from a mile away, even with max Master of Deception, and they will cut you to pieces rather quickly. You should stay the Hell away from them. The one in Ironforge won't be a problem because he wanders the front. The one in Stormwind can be a major downer if you're trying to stealth to the tram. With Wrath, there also seems to be a new behavior where they're instantly spawned if an immobile guards spots you while stealthed.
I'm also going to add a few city-specific tips.
First of all, fishing in Org:
I'm Horde, but I've asked myself how Alliance could do this most easily. There is water in the Valley of Honor, but I'm not sure how well you could hide there. It's a high-traffic area, and worse yet, the traffic is because this is where the battlemasters are, so you can count on the people here killing you if they find you.
A better option is hiding behind the buildings with the mage trainers. That's the Valley of Spirits on your Org map, if you're wondering. It's close to the back entrance, luckily. In fact, there is a particular rock you can hide behind which should conceal your name as well. I'll have to check when I get there again. I really must emphasize the use of camouflage potions if you use this method. For those of you who have never played Horde, fishing in this location puts you about twenty feet from the Horde port-in location (the location Horde spawn in if they teleport or use a portal to Org, including the Shat portal). While they will have next to no chance of spotting you visually, a hunter will immediately see you without some method of tracking negation.
Fishing in Stormwind:
Well, you only need one cast here, so this is super easy. You have two methods. First off, you can be in Stormwind without being in Stormwind, like was mentioned earlier. There's a patch to the southwest of the main wall leading into the city. I'd recommend this if you're not planning to then proceed to Ironforge.
If you are heading to IF, there's another method which makes me really surprised that people ran through the main gates. You can actually get right into Stormwind without using the tram and without people or guards noticing you, even if there's a pack dueling outside (happens often). As you approach Stormwind, with Aspect of the Beast or a camouflage potion on, hug the mountains to the east of the wall. Keep right against them. Staying mounted, run into the little cleft of terrain between the east side of the wall and the mountain next to it. Start jumping while mounted, trying to run forward at the same time. If you do it right, you can jump your way _onto_ the wall, and you can stay mounted up there. While still mounted, you can do a running jump right into the water below. This will avoid all guard aggro and most players too.
Once you're in the moat, swim to the far NE of it. There is a patch of land you can get up onto here. Most players will not see you here, and you can quickly get your cast. Now, heading to IF. You might be tempted to head straight south, but _do not_ do this. There is a NPC just south of the eastern side of the moat who will aggro a guard onto you instantly. Instead, you must swim under the bridge to the west side of the moat, careful to avoid the squid shaman NPC standing on a little island there. There is a single patrolling guard that comes down to the land on the west side of the moat, but you simply wait for them to pass, then get up on land and mount.
There are already plenty of tips available on how to fish in IF, so I don't really have much new to add here. I'll talk about respawn locations if you die, though.
If you are a class who can either stealth or successfully aggro drop against lvl 75 guards (either a rogue, druid, or arcane mage, since these guys will resist feign 95% of the time), try to keep on the side of the pool closest to the rogue trainer room. You will actually be able to spawn in there if you die, then. If you spawn right on the stairwell inside that building, between the top and bottom floor in the far corner, you will not be spotted by the NPC's. While these guys won't spawn guards onto you, they will put you into combat if they spot you, preventing you from drinking or stealthing.
When you leave that building, you will probably aggro one guard on your way to the water if you don't stealth. This is where the aggro drop comes in.
A second option, if you're close to the far wall of the cavern, is that you can spawn inside the buildings opposite the far wall of the cavern (in the interior ring of IF). This is not recommended without an aggro drop, as you will aggro at least two guards (much more if you haven't learned how to avoid most of them) on your way back, and you can't really even stealth past those with them at lvl 75.
Marlburo, October 2008:
As for fishing diplomat, right before the SW gates, I just fished in the "mote" just to the left of entrance. I beleive the Shamen trainer was directly north of me, was really easy. As for Old Ironjaw, the SW-Tram-Pond in North IF is definitley the way to go. I don't mind dying, because you always get a little closer everytime you die. That being said, I have yet to try and get him during non-peak hours so I havent been able to fish there long without being killed. HOWEVA a tip i found on another toon that works well is to go to the VERY back of the pond, and SIT and fish. You will be completely underwater and thus a little harder to see, but as always luck is a factor.
Secretsauce, October 2008:
As an Alliance person, I could offer a little more input into fishing in OG. I decided to fish up Old Crafty awhile ago before the patch, which was a good idea in hindsight given the fact that the guards got buffed tremendously. When you want to fish for long periods of time without interruption, I suggest the Valley of Honor, as there is a waterfall back there along with a nice rock to hide behind while casting your lure. The entire time that I was in OG (about 3 hours), I was never killed, not one time; I guess I got lucky because no one saw me go back there.
Post patch, I snuck through the back entrance to the city and hid behind one of the buildings in the valley of spirits. It was a much more difficult task and I was camped for about an hour, but I only needed one fish so it was cool.
Nivmizzet, November 2008:
At the moment in my server, Lightbringer, it seems tension built up between the two factions and either lets anyone fish on their territory. I'll just wait it out till things cool down :P
Picholine, November 2008:
el wrote:
To be honest, I thought the fish had been removed from the lava. Not to mention that it shouldn't be possible to jump down to the lava, or stand on an invisible ledge once you get there. Anyone know if it is possible to fish in "Old Ironforge" too?
I finished 1000 Fish today in IF, and a couple hundred were in the lava in the center of IF. Out of sheer boredom, I tried multiple fishing spots in IF, and got the idea Old IF might be the key to OLD Ironjaw! Alas, when my other mage buddy turned up to sheep me in, we discovered that the previously overlooked "Dun Morogh" dueling spots (by bank and Military Ward) had been removed, we assume with patch 3.0.2. Major, major bummer. So yes - fish in lava. But no, I don't know any other way to get in Old IF.
Also, first post on this site and i gotta say: i feel like i've come home. you're my people!
EDIT: Any Horde anglers on Silvermoon that can make it past the angry kids to IF - let me know - I'll be glad to try to sheep you into Old IF.
Easiest way for Horde to get Old IronJaw undesturbed
Gandonar, November 2008:
Having tried for Old Ironjaw a few times in Forlorn Cavern, but being ganked constantly,
I remembered that Old Ironjaw can be fished in the lava too.So I rode in into the great forge, and dropped down into the lava, knowing i would die.
However there is a hidden ledge between the wall and the rotating wheel, which is easy to find as a ghost. (from memory the coords are (50.4, 47.9 or 50.4, 49.7)
basically when you swim underneath the wheel, you get stuck. thats how you know your at the ledge. now simply jump up on is as ghost, and come back to live.You need to set your camera distance to max. Look at your toon, directly from above, and then tilt you camera, so that the wheel is on you left side, and you can only see lava in your buttom right corner. that way you can just see you lure.
Allies has to be lucky to see you, or know your there. but more importantly the 2 housr i spend there i got spotted twice, and both times the ally died trying to kill me, as they fell in the lava.
I will try to add some screen shots, to this post
Happy Fishing
GandBattleMoose, November 2008:
I tried off and on for Old Iron jaw and finally sat down and fished for him one night for about an hour and nailed him. Very happy camper.
Side note: With the release of LK its going to be a pain in the ass to get into Orgimar to fish for Old Crafty now but, with the quest thats available that makes you non PVP in Orgimar, i'll wait till that point, get the baby crockolisk quest and the other and camp out there till i get him.
Good fishing!
pinktoque, November 2008:
BattleMoose wrote:
I tried off and on for Old Iron jaw and finally sat down and fished for him one night for about an hour and nailed him. Very happy camper.
Side note: With the release of LK its going to be a pain in the ass to get into Orgimar to fish for Old Crafty now but, with the quest thats available that makes you non PVP in Orgimar, i'll wait till that point, get the baby crockolisk quest and the other and camp out there till i get him.
Good fishing!The lava trick does sound interesting and worth a try, Gandonar. Thanks for the info!
BattleMoose (besides loving your name), can you tell me some more specifics about the quest that's available that will make you non-PvP in Orgrimmar? Are you Horde or Alliance? I know as a Horde when I'm in Org after 5 mins my PvP flag wears off (even though I am on a PvP server.)
Did you mean Ironforge? Is there some way as a Horde that I can get into IF via quest where I won't be flagged PvP? This doesn't sound right so I'm assuming I don't quite understand what you mean :)
I do my crocolisk quest for Org as often as possible -- I must have a baby croc!
Tezuix, November 2008:
setting your camera view to max is a bad idea... it is MUCH easier to go into first person (zoomed right in) so you can see the lava directly in front of you =) much easier
Happy fishing
Pespi, November 2008:
I can confirm that this works a treat ^_^ Just make sure you can "reach" your body to ressurect otherwise it's a long run back from your home point.
BattleMoose, November 2008:
The quest is an alliance quest at level 74 in the Dragonblight zone of Northrend. It will eventually send you to Orgimmar on a diplomatic mission. The quest giver opens a portal to orgimmar for you. when you get there there are no players, just guards and they don't come after you. You are supposed to complete the quest and take the portal back. Just don't. every time you go to orgimmar it will be like you are trying to finish the quest. You can leave and come back though normal means just don't use the portal, fish till you get Old Crafty, then use the portal. If this is combined with the crockolisk glitch it should be super easy. Wowhead is down right now or i would tell you the name of the quest, I found it by searching there quest lines for that zone and level 74.
Hope this helps!
BattleMoose, November 2008:
Name of quest is: Fate, up against your will.
pinktoque, November 2008:
Ugh, thank you for the info tho, BattleMoose! Unfortunately since I'm Horde this won't help :( I've already caught Old Crafty and now I'm trying to work on Ironjaw. I was hoping there was an equivalent quest for Horde that would send them into Ironforge on a diplomatic mission so that I could use the opportunity to fish for Ironjaw while there. Oh well! Thanks for the info, though!
Blaquelight, November 2008:
First time poster, long time reader :)
104 Raw Longjaw Mudsnapper
29 Raw Brilliant Smallfish
28 Raw Bristlewhisker Catfish
1 17# Catfish
1 Old IronjawFinally!
Now if I can just win the darn Fishing Competition...
Thanks to everyone for the great info about the invisible ledge in IF.
delphinus87, March 2009:
Just thought I should clear this post up a little, I found it a little hard to understand. What you do as Horde is run into Ironforge then into the Great Forge. You must jump into the NORTH-WEST lava pool, not the South-East (Map Link)(maybe I'm just noob, but I spent half an hour looking in the the SE one). You then swim to the large wheel, hugging the wall. When you enter the gap between the wheel and wall, start jumping. Keep walking forward until you stop taking damage, then you can start fishing. Just a side note, make sure you take off all titles when you start fishing. This just makes your red name less noticeable.
DO NOT READ THIS UNTIL YOU ARE THERE, IT WILL BE CONFUSING
If you face straight toward the lava, your lure tends to fall behind the wheel, causing you to turn your camera to try to spot it. There is a way to reduce these events. It's sorta confusing, but I'll try my best.
If you look to the wall, you will see a pillar-looking drawing on it. Position yourself slightly behind this, then turn yourself slightly toward it (I'm a shadow priest, so this part's easy). The best angle to be is looking very slightly to the left of this pillar. If you do it right, all your casts will land in a place you can easily right click, you will, however, have to click cast a few times, as "Target is not in Line of Sight" will prevent you from casting. This is the best way I can describe it, sorry.337 Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper
125 Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish
116 Raw Brilliant Smallfish
1 19 Pound Catfish
1 17 Pound Catfish
2 Lesser Healing Potion
1 Lesser Mana Potion
66 Fishing Levels Gained
7 Hours
-----------------------------------
10 Achievement PointsYes, It was worth it :)
The Wrathgate and fishing in Orgrimmar.
Kahless, November 2008:
I saw a hint about this mentioned somewhere but I thought I'd start a thread on it here.
So I finished the Wrathgate quest line in Dragonblight today and I'm doing the followup quest "Fate, Up Against Your Will"
This quest sends you to Orgrimmar on a diplomatic mission to speak with Warchief Thrall.At first I though I was instanced since there are Guards but they don't attack and there are no other NPCs or players.
Turns out it's the real Orgrimmar, just "filtered" using some new mechanic that Blizz has added to the game.
Other players can't see you and you can't see them unless they are on the same quest.
NPCs that you can see are altered by the quest.The upside is you can fish in Orgrammar as long as you like without guards or players attacking you.
I will not turn in this quest until I have caught Old Crafty.
With a little luck I may catch the really big catfish while I'm at it.el, November 2008:
I cast a line during that quest too, and I agree, fish can be caught. Same during the Battle of the Undercity (although there is no reason to). If you do manage to catch Old Crafty, please post a confirmation.
Kahless, November 2008:
I was worried at first that I might not be able to catch old crafty in this way but my fear was removed when I realized it was the real Org and not an instanced copy.
I will confirm WHEN I catch him. I fully expect to.
So far the loot table looks exactly the same.
Marlene, November 2008:
Once I start the wrathgate quest... I think I am going to pick up the crocalisk in the city quest or try to and then go to Orgrimmar and see if I can get both. :D
I would like to get something to display in my header here at el's Anglin'! And I have been fishing since day one. I just always fished from nods to get the fish and treasure.
:D
Oh well. Got to start somewhere.
Marlene
Kahless, November 2008:
Confirmed!
I finally caught him today while in Org under the quest.
Easy Fishin', No Ganking. Takes some of the fun out of it but certainly makes it alot easier.Probably something to add to your cross faction fishing FAQ.
I left Org last night and did my dailies this morning, then I was able to return to Org by porting back from Stormwind. Just talk to Jaina Proudmoore in SW Keep and she'll port you back.
pinktoque, November 2008:
ahhh so this is the quest BattleMoose was talking about in the other thread about Old Crafty. Dang, I'm Horde, so this quest won't help me catch Old Ironjaw in Ironforge :(
There wouldn't happen to be an equivalent for Horde that will let them go to IF unflagged? *wishful thinking*
Kahless, November 2008:
Edit: I found the details on the Horde followup quests to the Wrathgate line.
No free trip to IF for them.http://www.wowhead.com/?achievement=547
Faela, November 2008:
I also caught Old Crafty in the 'filtered' Orgrimmar of the Wrathgate chain yesterday.
Yavanna, November 2008:
Confirmed. I caught him today - took 959 casts. I also confirmed with a GM if this was possible and legal.
