The three fishing jobs have different outcomes

The Betsy and Sons quest chain in the documented DREADMOOR demo starts with five Snappers, progresses to three Softgrazers for Chromatic Scales, and later asks for three Harpooners to sell before buying a Carburetor. The important distinction is what happens after you land the fish: some catches go into the grinder, while the Harpooners must remain intact for sale.

This sequence follows Mr. Feudal's demo-labelled player experience, supported through the early upgrade dialogue by FazyGaming's demo recording. The official DREADMOOR demo page describes this settlement's fishing, scavenging and dry-dock progression.

Begin with five Snappers and the dry-dock introduction

After arriving at the trading post, meet the merchants, accept their help and finish the bunkhouse introduction. Collect the simple fishing rod and meet them on the platform behind the dry dock.

They direct you to Snappers beneath the pier. Use Earthworms, cast into the splashes and manage stamina and line tension to land five fish. Speak to the merchants again when the counter is complete.

The next stage is not another immediate fishing order. John the Fifth has the dry-dock key, and you must repair his moonshine still before he hands it over. Collect the requested materials, processing the introductory Snappers and refuelling as instructed, then complete the boat-cleaning and repair objectives inside the reopened dock.

Process three Softgrazers for Chromatic Scales

Once the boat has been repaired, John points you back toward the merchants and the need for Chromatic Scales. The merchants provide the Wind-up Tin blueprint and ask for three Softgrazers.

Craft the lure at the workbench, choose a fishing spot identifying Softgrazers and catch the requested fish. Take them to the grinder or thresher when directed. The scales come from processing this catch; simply keeping the fish in the hold does not complete that processing step.

Return to John with the scales. He provides Scraps of Knowledge and instructs you to study the hull-protection and upgraded-engine blueprints. Craft and install the required protection before advancing his engine conversation.

Sell three Harpooners, then buy the Carburetor

John explains that the merchants hold the Carburetor needed for the new engine. Back at Betsy and Sons, the merchants offer the predatory-fish bait blueprint and ask for three Harpooner carcasses. Craft Rainbow Fin bait and visit a Harpooner fishing spot.

For predatory fish, retrieve the lure through the splash zone to attract a follower. The tutorial warns that retrieving too quickly loses the fish and pausing too long makes it lose interest. After a bite, control the fish and land it as usual.

Bring the three fish back intact. Use the selling interaction, then switch to buying and purchase the Carburetor. In the recorded demo, it costs 50 coins. This is a sale followed by a purchase, not an automatic reward for grinding the Harpooners.

With the part secured, follow the dry-dock objectives to remove and store the old engine, craft the upgraded engine and install it. Speak to John again to continue toward the Throat.

FAQ

Why does my guide mention three Snappers instead of five?

The earlier playtest has a different opening quota. The demo-labelled route here requests five; follow the counter in your current build.

Which fish provide the Chromatic Scales?

The demo quest specifies three Softgrazers caught using Wind-up Tin and then processed.

Should I grind the Harpooners for the Carburetor quest?

No. That objective asks you to sell the intact fish, then buy the Carburetor from the merchants.