Forgive me if anyone has posted a similar topic, I couldn’t find one via the search function on the forums, or anything relevant in search engines.
Let’s get some obvious questions out of the way first:
What is the Darkwood Fishing Pole?
It’s a fishing pole that requires a minimum character level of 15 & a fishing skill proficiency of at least 50 to use. It provides a +15 fishing bonus.Why not just use a Big Iron Fishing Pole instead?
It’s an exceptionally rare item, and thus desirable to collectors or completionists. Additionally it’s the best fishing pole potentially available to level 19 twinks, which will make it even more expensive. Also, if it’s loot source is via fishing, it’ll be the ultimate fishing trophy for anglers in Azeroth.
What we do know…
According to Wowhead, it at the very least exists in the game files. It even says it’s available as early as phase 1. However, I can’t find any evidence of it actually being obtainable. There’s anecdotal hearsay from old comments, and even people returning to classic reporting that they’ve looted one from worgs in Duskwood or Silverpine Forest, or fished it up back in Vanilla.
There’s just absolutely no discernible proof that this is true though. No vanilla era pictures or videos, it doesn’t show up on the wowhead drop tables for these creatures (I know the wowhead stuff is voluntary and not completely accurate.), and I can’t find anyone currently playing classic who has even seen the thing.
Anyone who has ever spent a significant time fishing back in the early expansions has probably seen El’s Anglin’, a popular website dedicated to all things fishing in WoW, and those pages are pretty high on SEO in regards to this item right now. According to comments from the archived site the first confirmed sighting of the pole via loot from fishing was not until patch 2.4, when people started fishing them up from inland waters in zones such as Ashenvale, Hillsbrad Foothills, or Stonetalon Mountains to name a few.
What I’d like to know…
Have you ever personally acquired this pole during vanilla or classic (1.x.x patch)? If so, what was the actual loot source, fishing or a drop? What zone, mob, pool, etc…
I don’t mind grinding for a stupid amount of time, but I’d prefer to be grinding on the correct thing. I’m over 1,000 casts deep in Hillsbrad Foothills right now. If I don’t see one by the 4,000 mark, I think I’m going to try my luck at the Worgs in Silverpine Forest for a few thousand kills. If anyone has any useful information on the subject, let the rest of us know!
TL;DR:
Is the Darkwood Fishing Pole obtainable in-game? If so, from what loot source? Fishing, Drop, Both? Have you actually seen this item in Vanilla, or more importantly Classic?
