Ever since A Link to the Past on the SNES, The Legend of Zelda games have been packed with a plethora of minigames, and fishing has been a consistent recurrence throughout the franchise. Fishing was first introduced in Link's Awakening on the Game Boy, but it was popularized by Ocarina of Time. In this title, players were able to catch a legendary fish known as the Hylian Loach, and its legacy has been passed down through the Zelda timeline. Here's how to find this fish in each Zelda title it has appeared in since its original debut.
As stated previously, Link's Awakening was the first Zelda with fishing, but it lacked the depth future titles would implement. Ocarina of Time introduced a fishing hole in which players could catch different kinds of fish that varied in size and exchange them for prizes. Extremely useful items like the Gold Scale and Pieces of Heart could be earned with some impressive fishing skills, if players took the time to master the fishing mechanics.
The Hylian Loach was first introduced in Ocarina of Time and could be caught near the lily pads on the west side of the fishing hole. Players also needed to enter and leave the fishing hole four times, paying 20 Rupees to fish each time, in order for the Loach to spawn. The fish could only be attracted to the lure when it was near these lily pads, so if the player accidentally scared the creature towards the center of the pond, they'd have to wait for an extended amount of time for it to swim back to the lily pads. The Sinking Lure was extremely helpful for catching this fish, but players would have their prizes denied for using illegal fishing equipment in the pond.
How To Catch The Legend Of Zelda's Hylian Loach Fish
The next game the Hylian Loach appeared in was Twilight Princess, which also had a dedicated fishing area, called Hena's Fishing Hole. Just like in Ocarina of Time, players could enter the fishing hole and earn prizes for reeling in monster fish, but Twilight Princess' fishing area added a seasonal mechanic, in which players could only discover certain fish during certain seasons. Simply leaving and reentering the area would change the season, and the Loach could only be discovered during the summer. Players could catch it near the lily pads in the northmost section of the pond, using the Frog or Sinking lures on Hena's boat.
Majora's Mask 3D did have two new fishing holes, but since the game didn't take place in Hyrule, the Hylian Loach didn't make an appearance. However, the fish was referenced in both of the Nintendo DS titles. A painting of the legendary fish could be found in Phantom Hourglass, in the Old Wayfarer's house on Bannan Island, and the same picture could be discovered in Spirit Tracks' Castle Town, in the northeast section. It might be an obscure piece of trivia for franchise veterans, but the Hylian Loach has been a recurring piece of lore in The Legend of Zelda games and will likely make a return next time the series adds a fishing minigame.