Primals and Essences
Primals, essences and similar reagents can be obtained from many different sources, including fishing. Fishing may be the most effective way to gather these materials, but not always. They are used by many professions to make or improve items.
| Catch | Use | Auction | Catching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Crystallized Water | Turn 10 Crystallized Water into an Eternal Water. Eternal Water is used in many "Northrend" profession recipes. | 2g [1] | Where to catch » |
 | Elemental Water | Used in a small number of Blacksmithing, Jewelcrafting, Leatherworking and Tailoring recipes. | 10g | Fishing Elemental Water » |
 | Essence of Fire | Used in many high-end pre-Burning Crusade profession recipes. | 7g | Where to catch » |
 | Essence of Water | Used in many high-end pre-Burning Crusade profession recipes - particularly frost-related gear. | 6g | Fishing Elemental Water » |
 | Globe of Water | Enchanting, Engineering, Jewelcrafting, Leatherworking and Tailoring all have recipes that use Globe of Water, but few of these items are commonly made. | 5g | Fishing Elemental Water » |
 | Mote of Water | 10 Mote of Water combine to make Primal Water. Primal Water is used in many high-end "Outland" profession recipes. | 1g 20s [2] | Fishing Pure Water » |
- [1] Can be sold as Eternal Water.
- [2] Can be sold as Primal Water.
Alchemists' Fish
Alchemists make use of the fish. Since not all alchemists enjoy fishing, or have the patience to learn, these fish may sell at auction.
| Catch | Makes | Auction | Catching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Deviate Fish | Elixir of Giant Growth. | 1g | Catching Deviate Fish » |
| Firefin Snapper | Fire Oil (2 fish per oil). This is primarily used to make Elixir of Greater Firepower. | 30s | Where to catch » |
 | Glassfin Minnow | Ethereal Oil (2 fish per oil). | 1g | Where to catch » |
 | Oily Blackmouth | Blackmouth Oil (2 fish per oil). Blackmouth Oil is used in several low-level potions that have no higher-level equivalent, such as Elixir of Water Breathing. | 30s | Where to catch » |
 | Pygmy Suckerfish | 1-2 Pygmy Oil. Drinking Pygmy Oil makes you a little smaller for 10 minutes. After drinking 6-10 oils in a row, you gain a buff described as "Pygmified!", which turns you into a Pygmy for 10 minutes. Pygmy Oil is also used to make several other alchemy potions and the Indestructible Alchemist's Stone. | 70s | Where to catch » |
 | Stonescale Eel | Stonescale Oil. Stonescale Oil is commonly used to make high-end, pre-Burning Crusade flasks. | 50s | Catching Stonescale Eels » |
Pools in Azeroth also sometimes contain Stranglekelp, which is used by Alchemists and Scribes.
Trunks
Pools, particularly wreckage pools, often contain trunks. Trunks and other containers can be opened. Some of their contents are valuable.
All those boxes look rather similar from the outside, don't they?
Reasonable profits are to be made from fishing Azeroth's wreckage pools at mid-level. The contents of a single Mithril Bound Trunk typically sells for about one gold at the Auction House. Bolts of cloth sell to tailors. Items of equipment and recipes in trunks are rare, and can normally be sold at auction. For detailed analysis of the contents of trunks, read the Pool Contents topic.
When fishing in open water on the coast of Azeroth, items are contained within a chest or container. Most of these chests are locked: Ironbound Locked Chest, Reinforced Locked Chest, Small Locked Chest, and Sturdy Locked Chest. Locked boxes can be opened by a skilled rogue or by using Blacksmiths' skeleton keys. Commonly locked chests contain single bolts of cloth or leather. They rarely contain equipment. When fishing inland open waters in Azeroth, similar items are found - just not contained in trunks.
Azeroth's open coastal water also contains non-locked boxes formerly belonged to the Venture Company: Dented Crate, Heavy Crate, Sealed Crate, and Waterlogged Crate. These contain engineering goods, such as blasting powders. Perhaps the Venture Company employ a lot of careless deck hands?
Scrolls
Parchment documents tend to be found within containers. Otherwise the documents would get wet, and become impossible to read!
- Message in a Bottle
- Contents: Basic and type-II scrolls, Low-level profession recipes, Damp Diary Pages that tell of one mystery shipwreck survivor's battle with bananas - fascinating: Damp Diary Page (Day 4), Damp Diary Page (Day 87), Damp Diary Page (Day 512)
- Where to catch »
Fish That Can Be Opened
Some fish contain pearls, gems and other items. It is normally quicker to kill monsters or mine for these items than to fish for them: Regard them as a bonus catch, not something to specifically fish for.
- Big-mouth Clam
- Contents: Zesty Clam Meat, Rarely also Black Pearl, Golden Pearl, Iridescent Pearl, Small Lustrous Pearl
- Where to catch »
- Bloated Giant Sunfish
- Contents: Seaweed, Mostly Digested Fish, Rarely a variety of Outland herbs and minerals, V-type scrolls, Stranglekelp, Luminous Bluetail, Darkclaw Lobster, Mote of Water, Gems such as Star of Elune
- Where to catch »
- Darkwater Clam
- Contents: Succulent Clam Meat, Rarely Northsea Pearl, Siren's Tear
- Where to catch »
- Jaggal Clam
- Contents: Jaggal Clam Meat, Rarely Golden Pearl, Jaggal Pearl, Shadow Pearl
- Where to catch »
Jaggal and Shadow Pearls are also sometimes contained in the Bag of Fishing Treasure, the reward from the Outland Daily Fishing Quests. Northsea Pearl and Siren's Tear may be found in the reward from the Northrend Daily Fishing Quests.
Other bloated fish can still rarely be caught while fishing inland open water in Azeroth: Bloated Catfish, Bloated Mud Snapper, Bloated Redgill, Bloated Salmon, Bloated Smallfish, Bloated Trout, and Bloodfin Catfish. Bloated fish normally contain gems, but sometimes contain rings and necklaces. Historically bloated fish were also caught from pools.
Learn More
- Fishing Elemental Water - How to fish Patches of Elemental Water, found in Azshara.
- Fishing Pure Water (Mote of Water/Primal Water) - How to fish pools of Pure Water in Nagrand for Mote of Water, which combine to make Primal Water.
- Catching Deviate Fish - How to catch Deviate Fish, which may be cooked to make Savory Deviate Delight.
- Catching Stonescale Eels - Answers the question, where is the best place to catch a Stonescale Eel?
- Pool Contents - Describes the contents of pools and trunks found in Azeroth.
- Outland Daily Fishing Quests - Walkthrough for all the level 70 daily fishing quests, with rewards.
- Also in Valuable Fish: What's Valuable?, Buff Food, Valuable Gear, Minipets and Mounts, and Other Valuable Fished Items.
