Red Dead Redemption 2 is known for its stunning open world and the freedom it gives players to do almost anything. In RDR2, as Arthur, you can fight, hunt, fish, or just wander the Wild West at your leisure.
Fishing is one of the important activities in the world of RDR2. There are 15 types of fish in Red Dead Redemption 2, with each type having its own legendary version. In this guide, I will show you how to catch the Legendary Northern Pike.
The Legendary Northern Pike can weigh up to 40 pounds and is about 50 inches long. To catch the Legendary Northern Pike in RDR2, you must pick up the stranger mission called “The Veteran” from Hamish Sinclair.
In this walkthrough guide, I will show you how to pick up the “The Veteran” mission, find the Legendary Northern Pike RDR2 location, and catch the fish easily.
If you play RDR2 for its storyline and open-world exploration like I did, you will surely enjoy catching the Legendary Northern Pike. 🤠
What is the Legendary Northern Pike Fish?
The Legendary Northern Pike is a rare species of fish found in Red Dead Redemption 2. It is the legendary version of the Northern Pike fish.
You can catch the Northern Pike fish in the northern rivers of Ambarino state. However, the Legendary Northern Pike fish is only found in O’Creagh’s Run, a small lake in the Grizzlies East region of the Ambarino state.
The fish you see below in the image is the Legendary Northern Pike fish that I caught, I mean, Arthur caught! 😅
The Legendary Northern Pike fish can only be caught in “The Veteran – II” mission. It is referred to as Tyrant by Hamish because of its rebellious nature.
One downside of this mission is you cannot do much with the Legendary Northern Pike fish. You just offer it to Hamish and bid farewell. However, you can cook the Northern Pike to restore Arthur’s health, donate it to the camp, or sell it for profit.
One Northern Pike fish can fetch you $4.00 at Trappers in New Hanover and West Elizabeth and $5.00 everywhere else; it is definitely better than Longnose Gar. On the other hand, you can’t sell, cook, or donate the Legendary Northern Pike fish.
But, as I said, if you are playing RDR2 for its open-world exploration, you will surely enjoy this stranger mission. Let’s see how to start the “The Veteran” mission.
➡️ How to Catch the Legendary Northern Pike Fish in RDR2?
To pick up the “The Veteran” mission, head to the Grizzlies East region in Ambarino state. This is a four-part mission: the first part involves helping the stranger find his horse, while the second involves catching the Legendary Northern Pike fish.
So, let’s begin the mission.
Find Hamish Sinclair Near O’Creagh’s Run
O’Creagh’s Run is a small lake in Grizzlies East, Ambarino. On the map, you can see a question mark symbol southwest of the lake; that’s where you need to head.
Once you reach the place, you will hear a plea for help from beyond the rocks.
When you look around, you will find an old man with one leg asking for your help. Greet him and interact with him.
This interaction will trigger the first part of the “The Veteran” mission. The stranger will tell you that he is an army veteran. He will also tell you that his horse got spooked and ran off.
Search Buell on Hamish’s Request
Hamish will tell you that his prosthetic leg got stuck in the horse’s stirrup, and now he can’t walk without it. He will request you to find his horse named Buell, bring him back, and, of course, his prosthetic leg.
An instruction will pop up on the screen that will prompt you to search nearby for Buell.
Do not worry; you don’t need to look far away for Buell. Just head east and run towards the lake.
You will find Buell grazing around the lakeside. Move slowly toward him, or you might startle him, and he might run away.
Arthur tries to tame the horse by calming him. It’s crucial that you do so because you cannot mount Buell, so you need to lead it back to his master.
Arthur will pat Buell and try to calm him down. This might take some time, so be patient.
Once Buell has calmed down, grab the straps and lead him back to the stranger.
One of the most beautiful things that I love about Red Dead Redemption 2 is the small conversations like this one where Arthur tries to talk some sense into Buell for running away from his master. 😃
Once you reach the stranger, he will mention his name as Hamish Sinclair and ask you to hand him his prosthetic leg stuck in Buell’s stirrup.
Hamish, before leaving, will tell Arthur about how he lost his leg. He will also extend an invitation to Arthur and ask him to come over sometime so they can fish together.
Arthur tells Hamish he’s a lousy fisher, and Hamish confirms he is great at it. So, he mentions his location on the other side of O’Creagh’s Run.
“The Veteran – I” is completed. Now, you can decide what to do next. Do you want to move on to some other missions or continue with “The Veteran – II”?
Since you are reading this guide to catch the Legendary Northern Pike fish, I recommend you continue with the second part of “The Veteran” mission.
Meet Hamish at His Hut
On the eastern side of O’Creagh’s Run, you will see a small marker with the initials “HS”. That’s the hut of Hamish Sinclair. You can travel to the place with one of the horses in RDR2 or simply on foot.
See that hut in the background? That’s where you need to go.
When you enter the hut, a cutscene begins. Hamish and Arthur greet each other, and Arthur mentions Hamish’s invitation to go fishing. This is where the part two of the “The Veteran” mission begins.
Hamish will pat Arthur and tell him to get ready for some fishing.
Catch the Legendary Northern Pike Fish in O’Creagh’s Run
The cutscene will continue, and both characters will halt at a pier. Here, Hamish will tell Arthur about the Legendary Northern Pike and why he calls it the great tyrant.
Once Arthur and Hamish board the boat, Arthur will ask how to catch the Legendary Northern Pike fish. Hamish shows him the special lake lure he made to catch the fish.
The Legendary Northern Pike fish can only be caught using this special lake lure. Hamish keeps one for himself and hands the other one to Arthur.
After the cutscene ends, you will be prompted to row to the middle of the lake. The controls to row the boat will differ based on the controller you are using.
Stop rowing once you are in the middle of the O’Creagh’s Run. Hamish will suggest you attach the special lake lure he gave you to your fishing rod.
So, select and equip the SPECIAL LAKE LURE. No other lure would work on the Legendary Northern Pike fish.
The fishing adventures of Arthur and Hamish begin. Some dialogues will be exchanged between the two before…
… This happens! 😆
Yes, Hamish is pulled into the lake by the Legendary Northern Pike. This must tell you how strong the fish is since it can pull an army veteran, who is an excellent (self-claimed) fisherman, right in the waters.
Hamish will scream for help. Arthur will fold his fishing rod and row towards Hamish to save him.
As you reach Hamish, lend him a hand and pull him onboard again.
Since Hamish has lost his fishing rod and the special lake lure, he will give up on the great tyrant. Arthur tries to persuade him, but Hamish gives up. However, he suggests Arthur try his luck again since he still has his special lake lure.
So, now Hamish will direct Arthur to a new fishing spot in an attempt to catch the fish by surprise. Row to the spot and cast your fishing rod.
You will have to try multiple times before catching the Legendary Northern Pike. The fish is strong, so it will escape your hook if you fail to control it after catching it.
After much effort, I finally caught the fish. Hamish stuns it and helps you pull it onboard.
Finally, Hamish takes his revenge on the great tyrant. 😂
He kills the fish with the back of his revolver and even curses at it. This shows his embarrassment from when the fish pulled him into the waters.
After catching the Legendary Northern Pike, a cutscene triggers, and Hamish asks Arthur to row back to the shore.
Hamish offers Arthur to keep the fish, but he refuses. You do not get a dialogue option here. It’s all a part of the cutscene. Arthur hands the fish to Hamish, and both walk to Hamish’s hut.
Arthur will bid farewell to Hamish and take his leave. However, just before Arthur leaves, Hamish offers another invitation to Arthur, this time for hunting.
This is the cue to begin part 3 of the “The Veteran” mission. In this part, Hamish and Arthur track a she-wolf in the forests and fight an alpha male.
The Veteran – II is completed. After 24 hours, you can return to Hamish’s hut to begin part 3 of the mission or move on to other missions, such as finding the rock carvings across the RDR2 world and getting your hands on the Old Brass Compass.
With the Old Brass Compass, you can craft the Raven Claw Talisman. The Raven Claw Talisman is a buff that decreases weapon degradation by 20%.
Final Thoughts
If you still want to explore the stunning open world of Red Dead Redemption 2, I suggest you find another rare animal species in RDR2 – Moose. You can find Western Bull Moose, Western Moose, and Legendary Moose.
We have a detailed guide to all moose locations in Red Dead Redemption 2. Follow the guide to hunt down these beautiful creatures.
And, if you really want to explore the depth of narrative in this game, check out our guide on Rocky Seven in Red Dead Redemption 2 for one of the most baffling side quests!
