When the Duke begins to sell food in Resident Evil Village, players will notice that of all the recipes, he only requires one Finest Fish meat. With frequent opportunities to fish throughout the game, this might make gamers draw the inaccurate conclusion that it's only a matter of time until finding a fish of this quality.
In reality, there is only one Finest Fish and it's not randomly generated, it's hidden in one of the game's best-kept secret areas. Too many completionists give up on their 100% perfect run because they've tried fishing everywhere on the map and can't find it. Don't let Ethan go without this delicacy; learn how to turn "the one that got away" into the perfect catch.
Get The Boat Key
- Complete the battle with Moreau.
- Return to the Duke at the Altar.
The Boat Key will be acquired during the battle against Moreau. In his first stage, Moreau will grow slime inside of the mine. While escaping, Ethan will get ambushed by some zombies by a tree and a shack (both will stand out as oddities for an indoor environment). Inside of that shack in the mine is the Boat Key.
After dealing with Moreau, go to the Altar. Do this before taking the fight to Heisenberg as this will trigger a sequence of events that will end the game and Ethan will miss out on his chance to go fishing one last time.
Navigate The Boat By The Drawbridge
- Find the boat by the drawbridge.
- Take the river south.
The drawbridge will require a crank that is received during the second stage of the Moreau fight. Cross the drawbridge and head down to the bank of a river to find a boat.
Upon arriving at the next dock, head left around a rock that obscures sight of a short path. This will lead to a pool with a few fish in it, but one of these fish, in particular, is quite special.
Catch The Finest Fish And Cook It Up
- Stab/shoot the Finest Fish.
- Collect the meat.
- Return to the Duke.
- Make the Sarmale de Peste dish.
There is a pool here with three fish in it. In shape, they all look similar, but one has a slight red shimmer. This is the Finest Fish.
Thankfully, the fish doesn't have any special abilities or speed, so it's just as simple as harvesting any other fish. There are some other secrets and tickets at this unmarked map location, so gather those up too and then return to the Duke for the reward.
Having the Duke cook up the Sarmale de Peste will be a huge advantage during these last few boss fights that each ask Ethan to dodge and run. The permanently increased movement speed makes for faster traveling as well.
Congratulations on getting the game's most coveted fishing challenge knocked out! Don't be bashful, this is one catch that deserves a good boast.