Angler Acquaintances
Once the player has successfully caught something using a fishing rod at a fishing spot, this quest will start. It directs the player to the Riften Fishery to speak with Viriya and Swims-In-Deep-Water. The Riften Fishery is located outside the city walls on the docks to the west. Viriya and Swims-In-Deep-Water each have a questline. I recommend doing Viriya’s first because to receive some of Swims-In-Deep-Water’s quests one must have advanced to a certain point in Viriya’s questline. If hers is done first, then each questline can be done in order.
Viriya’s Fishing Bounties
This questline is composed of a series of fishing-related job postings around Skyrim. Ask Viriya about fishing jobs. She’ll give you a note with instructions, then a quest will begin. Return to her on the docks near the Riften Fishery upon completing each quest to receive the next one.
In a Pinch
Her first bounty is a listing of hers. Viriya is obsessed with Mudcrabs, and she tasks the player with finding a Juvenile Mudcrab for her to study. A quest marker will point the player to one living at the Fossilized Giant Mudcrab unmarked location southeast of Gjukar’s Monument. They can also be found along other shores throughout Skyrim and can be caught with fishing rods elsewhere. The spot just west of Movarth’s Lair yields many Juvenile Mudcrabs.
Complete Skyrim fishing map.
Clear-Headed
This bounty begins with a request for a Glassfish from the alchemist in Falkreath, Zaria. They are commonly caught in lakes and ponds in fair weather. Lake Ilinalta and the pond outside of Stony Creek Cave are very suitable spots. Once the player delivers a Glassfish to Zaria, she will provide another objective. The player must go to the Falkreath Barracks to give a fake bottle of skooma to a guard with an addiction to the potion. The guard will take it to the basement and drink it, turning them invisible. After witnessing this, the player must return to Zaria to complete the quest.
Heart of Gold
Mila Valentia wants a pet Goldfish. These are fair-weather fish, ponds being the best place to find them. Goldfish are uncommonly caught, so if one wishes to catch a Goldfish with a fishing rod, waiting until dawn or dusk will increase the odds. A few ponds that have them are those outside of Stony Creek Cave, Mara’s Eye Pond, and the Fort Neugrad pond. Upon delivering the Goldfish to Mila, the player must follow her to an aquarium outside of her house to complete the quest.
Goldfish in a pond.
Two of a Kind
Eventually, a courier will deliver a letter from Mila asking for a second Goldfish. Once a second one is delivered, she will reward the player with access to her secret treasure, which is located on the western side of the Cloud District along the side of Dragonsreach.
No Contest
A man named Brutius is challenging other fishermen to compete with him. After meeting him in Morthal, he will direct the player to a fishing spot east of Morthal. He then turns hostile, and two bandits join him in ambushing the player. After killing them, the player will find a journal on Brutius that says he lost a valuable ring in the water. The player then receives an objective to fish it up. One will likely reel in a few fish before the ring comes up. Once the ring is fished up, the quest will conclude.
Frenzied Mudcrabs attack.
Crustacean Extermination
Viriya has received reports of Mudcrab attacks near Dawnstar and sends the player to investigate. Upon arriving at a shack to the west of Dawnstar along the coast, Frenzied Mudcrabs attack. After the player has killed 12 of them, they must search a nearby body to find a journal. A necromancer named Seviur has been experimenting on Mudcrabs, which has caused them to frenzy and attack. Return to Viriya with this journal to complete the quest.
Tusked Terror
There’s a problematic horker in the White River delta northeast of Windhelm named Fangtusk. The player must obtain an Arctic Grayling to lure Fangtusk into a trap. Arctic Grayling are common along the northern shores of Skyrim and can be caught in any weather. Once one acquires an Arctic Grayling, they will be directed to leave it on a rock between Yngol Barrow and the Wreck of the Winter War. Once the bait is placed, Fangtusk will appear and cast a vampiric spell on the player. When Fangtusk is defeated, the player must search the corpse and take the Vampiric Ring. The player then must tell the steward of Windhelm about Fangtusk and the ring, which completes the quest.
Fangtusk casting vampire spell.
Private Lessons
Lynea is seeking a fishing tutor. One can find her waiting in the Silver-blood Inn. After speaking to her, she will meet the player at the fishing spot in Markarth near the Warrens. Catching 3 fish with her will complete the objective, then speaking to her will complete the quest.
Spirits Away
A Khajiit Caravan ran into some trouble in the Reach where the Karth River splits just north of Reachcliff Cave. They lost some bottles of Aged Flin in the river, which the player must fish up. Since the goal is to fish up items, just keep reeling in whatever is on the line until 3 bottles of Aged Flin come up. Then one must deliver them to Ri’saad who will reward the player with the Ring of Khajiit.
The Ultimate Feast
Gisli has some money to spare and desires a seafood feast. She wants a Cooked Arctic Char, Steamed Crab Legs, and Crab Stew. The ingredients for those dishes are 1 Arctic Char, 1 Mudcrab Meat, 1 Mudcrab Legs, 1 Leek, 1 Potato, 1 Garlic, 1 Salt Pile, and 1 Butter.
Gisli enjoying her seafood feast.
Arctic Char are caught in freezing waters in any weather. They are uncommonly caught, so waiting until dawn or dusk is wise. Mudcrabs are found in many of Skyrim’s waterways. One will find some on a stroll along the White River. One Mudcrab should have both Mudcrab Meat and Mudcrab Legs. Leeks, Potatoes, Garlic, Salt Piles, and Butter are sold by food vendors. Jala, Addvar, and Corpulus Vinius provide them in the video. Many players struggle to acquire the butter. In that case, one might consider using the Reset Merchant Inventory Exploit. That is performed by saving, examining the vendor’s inventory, if they don’t have the item needed kill them, then reload the save and the inventory will be reset.
Once all the ingredients are acquired, cook the dishes at any cooking station. The video features the one in Angeline’s Aromatics. Once all 3 dishes are made, a new objective will direct the player to the second floor of the Winking Skeever to serve them to Gisli. Once placed Gisli will arrive and dine. Wait an hour for her to finish and she will leave a note, which completes the quest when read.
Beneath Bronze Waters
There’s talk of an unusual apparatus outside of Bronze Water Cave and the player must investigate. Upon arriving at the scene, one will find a journal saying that to activate the device two Aetherium Dynamo Cores are needed and must be fished up with a Dwarven Fishing Rod. It also says that schematics for such a rod are in the Alftand Ruined Tower to the west of Alftand. The schematics are a short way inside. The player must deliver the schematics to Calcelmo, so that he can create a Dwarven Fishing Rod. It takes him 24 hours to make one. Once this rod is acquired, use it to fish up the Aetherium Dynamo Cores outside of Bronze Water Cave and place them on the pillars. A chest will then rise out of Lake Yorgrim and two Dwarven Spiders will attack. Opening the chest will complete the quest.
Emperor Crab battle.
Wave Breaker
After returning to Riften, a courier will deliver a letter from Viriya. The Frenzied Mudcrabs have returned and are attacking the shores near Dawnstar with force. The player must meet Viriya there to help defend the town. After killing 2 waves an Emperor Crab Guardian Spirit rises out of the sea. To defeat it the player must collect Flaming Pots from fallen Mudcrabs and launch them using the catapults. After 6 shots the battle will be won. Speak to Viriya then report to the Jarl of Dawnstar to complete the quest. This concludes Viriya’s fishing bounties, but there is an epilogue quest.
End of the Line
After the battle, the player will receive another letter from Viriya telling them that she is retiring from the Riften Fishery to open a crab stand. A new quest begins in which the player gives her the materials she needs to get started. One must give her 18 pieces of Firewood, 20 Nails, 4 Iron Fittings, and 1 Lock. There’s a wood chopping block with a Woodcutter’s Axe in Riften near the door to the docks. To craft the rest, one needs 7 Iron Ingots and 1 Corundum Ingot, which can be purchased from blacksmiths. Once all the materials are acquired, give them to Viriya. Then in 24 hours, she will have her shack built. Speak to her once more to conclude her questline.
That concludes the first part of the complete Skyrim fishing guide, Angler Acquaintances, and Viriya’s fishing bounties.
