TL;DR
- Annabella’s Request is a Faction Quest in Hernand. You catch a Tench and deliver it to her assistant.
- Find Annabella at Hernand Saddlery — she gives you a free fishing rod.
- The Tench is in the river north of the saddlery, just past the Three Saints Fall bridge.
- You can also buy a Tench from Hailard at Roadbel Fishing Dock for just 79 copper — or grab one by hand in shallow water.
- Don’t deliver to Annabella — take the Tench to her assistant at Bloomwood Ranch, southeast of Hernand.
- Rewards: 50 Trust Points, 3 inventory slots (permanent), and Dried Fish.
Annabella’s Request is one of the 16 Faction Quests under the Tales of the Hernandian Merchants questline in Crimson Desert. It might look like a simple fishing errand, but a lot of players get tripped up on where to find the Tench, how fishing actually works, and where to deliver the fish. This guide covers all of that, step by step.
The reward alone makes this worth doing early. You get a permanent bag expansion of 3 inventory slots — which is huge in the early game. If you’re still figuring out what items to prioritize early on, this quest slots right into your priority list.
How to Unlock Annabella’s Request in Crimson Desert
Before this quest appears, you need to complete the “Where Rumors Gather” quest. After that, head to the Notice Board in the City of Hernand plaza and read Annabella’s Poster. That unlocks the quest. You can then walk straight to her at the Hernand Saddlery in the northern part of town.
It’s also worth knowing that this quest only becomes available after you’ve been introduced to the fishing mechanic — either by finding a rod near the fishermen in Hernand or simply by completing the “Unexpected Gift” quest first.
Where to Find Annabella in Crimson Desert
Annabella runs a small shop just outside the Hernand Saddlery, slightly northeast of the Freesword Encampment. She’s not hard to find once you know the area.
To track the quest and get a red X on your map guiding you there, open your Journal, tab to Faction Quests, go to Hernand Commissions, find the quest name, and press A (Xbox) or X (PS5) to toggle tracking. Do this early — it makes the whole quest much easier.
When you speak to Annabella, she tells you she wants to make a saddle that turns heads. She spotted a fish by the river with large shimmering scales and she wants you to catch one. She hands you a free fishing rod right there, so you don’t need one beforehand. You get to keep that rod permanently after the quest.
Where to Find the Tench in Crimson Desert
The Tench is in the river north of the Hernand Saddlery, past the Three Saints Fall bridge near the Wycliffe Mappery. Keep your quest tracking on and the marker will point you right to it. The fish sits in a pool just before the waterfall — cross the bridge, take the path down to the right, and you’ll hit the riverbank.
Pro tip before you cross the bridge: There’s a Sealed Abyss Artifact sitting on a structure just before the Three Saints Fall bridge on the left side. Don’t walk past it. If you’re working through how to open sealed Abyss Artifacts, this is a good one to snag on the way.
Also watch out — there are bandits along the route. Come ready to fight.
Three Ways to Get a Tench
You have three options here. Pick whichever fits your style:
1. Buy it — the fastest method
Head to Roadbel Fishing Dock, west of Hernand. A vendor named Hailard sells Tench there for just 79 copper coins. Since Bloomwood Ranch (where you deliver the fish) is close to the dock, this is the most time-efficient route. Grab the quest, buy the fish, walk to the ranch, done.
2. Grab it by hand — no rod needed
Wade into the shallow water near the quest marker. Press LB / L1 (or Ctrl on PC) to scan and spot the Tench in the water — it may show up as “???” if you haven’t discovered the species yet. When the fish moves toward the shoreline, grab it by hand. It’s quick, and many players catch it on the first attempt.
3. Fish with the rod
This is the full method and it’s how you learn the fishing mechanic properly. Here’s how to do it:
- Equip the rod: Hold the Left D-Pad (controller) or F2 (PC) to open the equipment wheel. Switch to the Fishing Rod using LT/RT (controller) or the mouse scroll wheel (PC).
- Cast: Hold L2/LT and aim at your spot. Release to cast the line into the water.
- Fight the fish: When a fish grabs the lure, use the left stick to pull in the opposite direction of where the fish is swimming. If it goes right, pull left. This tires the fish out. Do not reel while it’s still fighting — you will snap the line.
- Reel it in: Once the fish tires out, rotate the right stick clockwise to bring it in. If it starts fighting again, stop reeling and go back to pulling against it.
Think of it like Red Dead Redemption 2’s fishing — it’s a back-and-forth game. Stay patient and don’t rush the reel.
If you want to go deeper into fishing across the whole map, check out our full guide on how to fish in Crimson Desert.
How to Submit the Tench — Where to Find Annabella’s Assistant
This is where most players get stuck. Do not bring the fish back to Annabella. She wants you to deliver it to her assistant — and the assistant is nowhere near the saddlery.
Head southeast of Hernand to Bloomwood Ranch in Sekris Estate. You’ll find Annabella’s Assistant near a flower shop, arranging fabrics. Talk to her and hand over the Tench. She thanks you and promises to make a saddle for your horse the next time you meet.
Make sure your quest tracking is still on — it will show you the exact location of the assistant on the map.
Annabella’s Request Rewards
| Reward | What It Does |
|---|---|
| 50 Trust Points | Improves your Hernand Faction standing |
| +50 Contribution EXP | Adds to your Hernand Faction progress |
| 3 Inventory Slots (Medium Bag) | Permanent expansion to your bag |
| Dried Fish | Consumable that restores 120 HP |
| Fishing Rod (kept) | Permanent item — free to keep after the quest |
The 3 permanent inventory slots are the real prize here. Early in the game, bag space is tight, and this makes a real difference. If you want more on how to keep expanding your space, see our guide on how to increase inventory space in Crimson Desert.
Other Hernandian Merchants Faction Quests
Annabella’s Request is one piece of a larger puzzle. There are 16 total Tales of the Hernandian Merchants quests. Other merchants in this faction include:
- Turnali — see our Turnali’s Request: Fine Timber Guide
- Renee — covered in our guide to completing Renee’s Request
- Rhett — see our guide to completing Rhett’s Request
Completing all of these builds your standing with the Hernand Faction and unlocks further rewards over time.
Quick Tips for Fishing in Crimson Desert
- Don’t reel while the fish is fighting. This is the most common mistake. It snaps the line every time.
- Scan the water first using LB/L1 or Ctrl before you fish. It helps you spot exactly where the Tench is sitting.
- Cast in open, deeper water. Casting near rocks can snag your line.
- Better rods help. As you progress, you’ll find upgraded rods that reduce bite wait times and make reeling easier.
- Check the Knowledge menu. Once you’ve discovered a fish species, the Creatures > Aquatic Creatures tab shows you where to find it again on the map.
- Use your camp to cook fish. Cleaning fish at a campfire gives you Fish Fillet, which goes into several useful recipes. See our guide on how to cook the best healing food in Crimson Desert.
More Crimson Desert Guides
Working through Hernand and the wider world of Pywel? Here are some guides that tie into this part of the game:
- How to get max health in Crimson Desert
- How to get max stamina in Crimson Desert
- How to get gold bars in Crimson Desert
- How to make money fast in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert best early build
- How to save in Crimson Desert
- How to fast travel in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert HUD explained
Crimson Desert is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Visit the official Crimson Desert website for the latest news and updates.
