Once you forge Nate’s Blade in Fisch, it comes back Restricted, which means all it can do is push its own quest line forward. Lifting those locks takes three perfect-catch trials, a long shopping list of collection goals, and a rescue run through Desolate Deep. Work through them in order and the blade ends up fully unrestricted, with Nate’s Lantern handed over alongside it.
Quick answer: Clear the three perfect-catch trials with the blade equipped, finish the Nostalgia Trip collection goals, then follow Nate’s belongings through Desolate Deep and rescue him to fully unrestrict the weapon.
Before you start
You need the Restricted Nate’s Blade already sitting in your hotbar. That comes from assembling the Broken Blade and the Crimson Centerpiece at the coffee table inside Nate’s Cave on Sunstone Island. If you still have the parts to gather, do that first, because the restriction is what kicks off the trials below.
Leave Nate’s Blade equipped throughout all fishing stages. Since these catches have narrow bars, choose a rod with ample line strength and control, and use high-Resilience bait such as Deep Coral. An Aura Totem can help with rarer fish, and enchanting your rod speeds up the grind.
You can check the Quest Menu at any time to see how many perfect catches you’ve recorded and which fish you still need to catch.
Clear the three fishing trials
Completing three catch trials restores the blade’s special abilities. Each one must register as a Perfect Catch, so check the Quest Menu after every catch to make sure it counted before continuing.
Moosewood Dock
Perfect-catch all ten native species at Moosewood Dock. You can use preferred bait to speed up bites, and common crates still count toward the tally where they drop.
| Fish (Rarity) | Bait | Time | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchovy (Common) | Any | Day | Clear |
| Largemouth Bass (Common) | Worm | Any | Rain |
| Red Snapper (Common) | Any | Any | Any |
| Sockeye Salmon (Common) | Bagel | Any | Rain |
| Trout (Common) | Insect | Any | Clear |
| Yellowfin Tuna (Uncommon) | Any | Any | Any |
| Eel (Unusual) | Any | Night | Any |
| Flounder (Unusual) | Squid | Night | Windy |
| Snook (Unusual) | Shrimp | Any | Clear, Foggy |
| Whiptail Catfish (Legendary) | Seaweed | Night | Any |
Roslit Volcano
Head into the volcanic pool at Roslit Bay and perfect-catch everything of Mythical rarity or below listed here. Clearing this trial grants the blade’s Slash ability. Note that some entries count as Trash or items rather than standard fish, so confirm each one in the Quest Menu.
| Catch (Rarity) | Bait | Time | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basalt (Trash) | Magnet | Any | Any |
| Rock (Trash) | Any | Any | Any |
| Magma Tang (Uncommon) | Coal | Day | Any |
| Ember Perch (Unusual) | Coal | Any | Clear |
| Ember Snapper (Unusual) | Coal | Any | Any |
| Pyrogrub (Rare) | Coal | Any | Any |
| Quality Bait Crate (Rare) | Any | Any | Any |
| Volcanic Geode (Rare) | Magnet | Any | Any |
| Obsidian Salmon (Legendary) | Coal | Night | Any |
| Obsidian Swordfish (Mythical) | Minnow | Any | Windy, Clear |
Use measured clicks when a Mythical fish bites. If your line snaps, you could be waiting a long time for another bite, so reel in the Obsidian Swordfish steadily.
Snowcap Cave
The Colossal Squid lives in the exclusive pool inside Snowcap Cave. This Mythical fish bites with any bait during foggy nights, and you must make 20 perfect catches to complete the stage. Bait that provides universal luck and resilience boosts makes the challenge much easier than the squid’s preferred bait, which has no resilience boost.
Finish the Nostalgia Trip collection goals
After the trials comes the longest stretch, the quest labelled “Nate’s Quest: A Nostalgia Trip.” These are large collection targets that fully strip the blade’s restrictions, and the Quest Menu tracks all of them in one place. Knock out the fixed-count goals first (boats, lanterns, titles, badges), then grind the rest.
- Catch every original fish with Nate’s Blade (126 total)
- Catch 5 fish with each original Fishing Rod (15 rods)
- Obtain every free original Title (45)
- Obtain every original Boat (10) and Lantern (11)
- Unlock every original Badge (30)
- Enchant 21 times
- Witness every original Weather and Modifier (8)
With every box checked, return to Miso in Nate’s Cave to confirm the blade is fully unrestricted and open the rescue stage.
Recover Nate’s belongings in Desolate Deep
Head into Desolate Deep and collect three of Nate’s items along a set trail. Pick them up in order rather than combing the open water.
E Pick Up prompt to collect it.
Break into Dr. It Fish’s Lair and rescue Nate
With the belongings in hand, go to the cracked rock wall that hides the entrance to Dr. It Fish’s Lair. Equip Nate’s Blade and hold the action button to slash through the hidden passage.
Go inside, complete Dr. It Fish’s dialogue, and then speak with Nate to finish the rescue.
You know it worked when the quest closes out and the game hands you the Unrestricted Nates Blade along with Nate’s Lantern. The blade’s full ability set, including its weight and progress boosts, guaranteed mutations, and the growing control bar, is now active with no quest lock holding it back.
