“A true angler has respect for the water... don't you forget that.”
— Willy
Willy is a villager who grew up traveling among the Fern Islands and now lives south of Pelican Town on The Beach. He sells bait and fishing supplies in his shop. His shop is open every day but will be closed on Saturday if the weather is nice enough for him to go fishing.
Schedule
Most days Willy fishes at the beach for a few hours before operating his fish shop between 9am and 5pm. During winter he'll go to the saloon after work.
Willy's shop is closed on Saturday while he's out fishing unless it's raining. Willy never visits the Beach Resort on Ginger Island, though he ferries other villagers to and from the Island.
Shown below are Willy's schedules prioritized highest to lowest. For example, if it is raining, that schedule overrides all others below it.
Spring 9
6:10 AM
Wakes up for the day, goes fishing outside his fish shop.
Starts working at the counter in the fish shop, goods are available for sale. "I have a doctor's appointment today, so if you need to buy anything you'd better hurry."
10:10 AM
Leaves the fish shop, walks over to the Harvey's Clinic. "Eh, I got a fish hook stuck in my thumb... the Doctor's gonna cut it out."
1:30 PM
Continues checkup at the Harvey's Clinic. "Yowch! That hurt, Doc!"
5:00 PM
Leaves the Harvey's Clinic, walks over to the saloon. "I need a little warm-me-up to be ready for another cold night on the ocean."
Willy spends most of his time fishing just outside his shop when not operating the sale counters at his shop. He's often seen at the saloon in the evenings, especially during the winter, when he sits with Clint. He lives close to Elliott; the two of them are the only residents of the beach. He is also friends with Elliott.
You can give Willy up to two gifts per week (plus one on
his
birthday), which will raise or lower
his
friendship with you. Gifts on
his
birthday ( 24 Summer) will have 8× effect and show a unique dialogue.
For loved or liked gifts, Willy responds
“
“A birthday gift? That's very kind of you! I love it.”
“
“You remembered my birthday! Thank you. This is great.”
For neutral gifts, Willy responds
“
“Oh, a birthday gift! Thank you.”
For disliked or hated gifts, Willy responds
“
“Oh... It's for my birthday? ... Thanks.”
Love
“
“This is great! If only me ol' Pappy was around. He’d go nuts for this.”
Gold Bar
“
“*chomp*... Yep, that's real gold alright. Heh! What a gift!”
Jewels Of The Sea
“
“Thank ye! This'll be perfect winter reading. Ah, and it even smells of the sea...”
Stardrop Tea
“
“By the stem o' me pipe... a cup o' Stardrop Tea! And here I thought it was only the stuff of mermaid legend. Thank you kindly.”
The Art O' Crabbing
“
“Aye... A timeless classic. Brings a tear to me eye, with every read. A fisherman can never have too many copies! Thank ye.”
“Ah, 'Bait And Bobber'... Every angler ought to have a subscription, but it costs a pretty penny. Taught me a lot of good fishin' tips over the years. Thanks!”
Willy greets you outside the Fish Shop. He says he needs your help and asks you to come inside. Once inside, you see Crabs run amok, covering the Fish Shop floor. Before you can do anything to help, Gus enters the Fish Shop and offers to purchase all the crabs, minus a discount for the labor involved. Willy agrees, and Gus gathers the crabs. Afterward, Gus turns to you and says he's going to run a special on Crab Cakes for the next few days (but not to tell Willy). The cutscene ends with Willy saying goodbye to his "sweet ladies" as they are taken away to be killed and cooked.
Gus will sell an unlimited amount of Crab Cakes at the Saloon for data-sort-value="550">550g each starting on the day of the cutscene and for 3 days after. Mayor Lewis will comment that he's smelled crab "all afternoon" the day the event is viewed.
Seven Hearts
After reaching seven hearts with Willy he will send you a recipe in the mail.
I'd like to share an ol' cooking recipe my pappy used to make. It's important the fish is FRESH.
-Willy
Quotes
Regular
First Meeting
“
“Ahoy there! It's nice to see young folk movin' in to the valley. It's not very common these days.”
Regular
“
“Ahoy there, [son/lass]. Looks like decent weather for fishing, eh?”
“
“Have you had much luck in the local waters? You look like you could be a strong angler if you set your mind to it.”
“
“A true angler has respect for the water... don't you forget that.”
“
“Some fish come and go with the seasons. Others only come out at night or in the rain.”
“
“*mumble* *mumble* ...Eh? I would tell you about my thoughts, but it's a fisherman's secret”
“
“ There are rumors of some very rare fish in these parts... but only an experienced angler could stand a chance against them. You'll need the finest bait you can get if you want a rare fish to bite.”
“
“If you really want to get the fish biting, make sure you put some bait on your hook.”
“
“If the local fishing scene got a bit more lively, I might expand the shop's stock.”
“
“If you purchase a high quality fishing rod, you'll be able to attach bait and tackle to the line. Bait causes fish to bite faster. Tackle can make your job a lot easier when reeling fish in. There are all kinds of tackle, with different perks. They're usually a little flimsy, so don't be surprised if your tackle breaks after a while.”
4+ Hearts, Friday
“
“I'm a simple man...when my pipe is full, I'm happy. When my pipe is empty...well, then I just fill 'er up again.”
6+ Hearts
“
“The ol' Man was a fisherman, you know. I grew up sailing between the fern islands, living from catch to catch. The fishing life is tough, but there's something about it that keeps you goin'.”
8+ Hearts
“
“How's the fishing life going for ya? I try to fish as often as possible, but it's not easy when you've got a shop to run.”
10+ Hearts
“
“Hey, it's my skipper, [Player]! I'd give you a discount on bait if I could afford it.”
Green RainYear 1
“
“Aye... I hope these weird rains don't bother the fish... It could ruin me life!”
Year 2+
“
“If the fish like these rains, then I like 'em, too.”
Green rain finished (next day)
“
“Well, the fish seem as healthy as ever. In fact, I swear they've been biting with extra vigor!”
Summer 19
“
“Tomorrow is the annual Trout Derby... Aye, it's a freshwater enthusiast's dream! Anglers from all over the world will be here to catch our beautiful Rainbow Trout... [I'd better see you out there, lad!/I hope to see you out there!] For the next two days, I'll only be manning the shop for one hour, starting at 9am. So if you really need somethin', you can come by then.”
Winter 11
“
“Tomorrow, at the beach, is the start of a little gathering... called 'SquidFest'. Aye... tis' a difficult catch, the squid. But I trust that you've developed a knack for the sport, by now.”
After getting married
“
“Giving up the [bachelor/single] life, eh? Just don't forget to make time for fishing...”
“By the stem o' me pipe... You actually caught 'the Legend'. I never thought I'd see the day... Well, [lad/miss], you've done it... You're the best [fisherman/angler] this valley's seen in a long time...”
“*sniff* *sniff*... Something tells me you've been fishin' in the sewers, [lad/miss]. It's an unconventional approach, to be sure. There's legend of gargantuan carp, twisted into monsters from the toxic sludge...”
“*sniff*... Ah... That old familiar scent. You've been raisin' crabs, haven't ya? Yer a [man/lady] after me own heart, [Player]. Hah! Here, take this. I found it on the beach... Been savin' it fer a special occasion. It's not every day I discover a fellow crab enthusiast!”
“Sometimes I'll hide an egg too well and no one finds it... Well, until summer rolls around. Then the hot air starts to bring out the rotten smell... Hehe.”
Even-numbered year
“
“Aye... on rainy days, you'll find catfish in these waters. They're a challenging catch, but well worth the effort!”
"In the night sky of winter, there is a bright star only visible from this valley. No one knows why this is... but in times of old people would come from far and wide to see it.*They believed that anyone who laid eyes on the Winter Star would be blessed with good fortune. Some even claim that the mysterious fruit known as Stardrop is connected to the Winter Star in some way."
"To The Beach": Willy will send you a letter on the 2nd of Spring asking you to meet him on the beach south of town. The reward is a Bamboo Pole.
"Catch a Squid": Willy will send you a letter on the 2nd of Winter asking you to catch and bring him a Squid. The reward is data-sort-value="800">800g and 1 Friendship heart.
"Catch a Lingcod": Willy will send you a letter on the 13th of Winter, year 2, asking you to catch and bring him a Lingcod. The reward is data-sort-value="550">550g and 1 Friendship heart.
Fishing: Willy may randomly request that you catch a certain number of a specific fish from the current season at the "Help Wanted" board outside Pierre's General Store. The reward is 3x the fish's base value (per fish). (You get to keep the fish).
"Juicy Bugs Wanted!": On the Special Orders board in front of the Mayor's Manor, Willy may randomly request that the player collect 100 Bug Meat and place it in the bin next to the Fish Shop. The reward is data-sort-value="3000">3,000g and the Quality Bobber recipe.
"Tropical Fish": On the Special Orders board in front of the Mayor's Manor, Willy may randomly request that the player catch 5 Stingray, 5 Blue Discus, and 5 Lionfish. The reward is data-sort-value="2500">2,500g and a Deluxe Fish Tank. Completing this special order also unlocks the Deluxe Fish Tank for sale at the Fish Shop. This special order requires Ginger Island to be unlocked and the Island Resort to be built.
1.4: Fixed bug where all recipes would be sent at 3 friendship hearts. Willy now is neutral towards Dish O' The Sea, Maki Roll, and Sashimi. Fixed bug where skipping intro cutscene would not count towards introductions quest.
1.6: Added custom gift reactions. Added dialogue. Added winter portraits. Added 3 new fishing quests for the Desert Festival. Willy now loves Gold Bar and likes Escargot.