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Fishing for rainbow fish at Barbarian Village using a granite crab familiar.
Fishing for rainbow fish at Barbarian Village using a bull ant familiar.
Fishing for rainbow fish at Shilo Village using a spirit terrorbird familiar.
Fishing for rainbow fish at Shilo Village using an ibis familiar.
Fishing for rainbow fish at Shilo Village using an ibis familiar.
Fishing for rainbow fish at Shilo Village using a granite lobster familiar.
Fishing for rainbow fish at Shilo Village using a granite lobster familiar.
Fishing for rainbow fish at Shilo Village using a granite lobster familiar.
Fishing for rainbow fish at Shilo Village using a granite lobster familiar.
Location
Barbarian Village
Barbarian Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Multitasking Suitability
10
10
9
8
7
6
6
6
6
Level-Specific Requirements
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Activity Parameters (As Evaluated for Skill and Level)
Skills
Fishing(38), Summoning(16)
Fishing(40), Summoning(40)
Fishing(50), Summoning(52)
Fishing(60), Summoning(56)
Fishing(70), Summoning(56)
Fishing(80), Summoning(74)
Fishing(85), Summoning(74)
Fishing(90), Summoning(74)
Fishing(95), Summoning(74)
Quests
--
--
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Shilo Village
Equipment
Fly fishing rod
Fly fishing rod
Fly fishing rod
Fly fishing rod
Fly fishing rod
Fly fishing rod
Fly fishing rod
Fly fishing rod
Fly fishing rod
Familiar
Granite Crab
Bull Ant
Spirit Terrorbird
Ibis
Ibis
Granite Lobster
Granite Lobster
Granite Lobster
Granite Lobster
Other
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--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Input and Output Items and Values
Total Input Value
3,112 gp
2,954 gp
3,236 gp
6,112 gp
6,512 gp
7,393 gp
7,473 gp
7,553 gp
7,633 gp
Input Items and Item Values
Granite crab pouch[3.5]
871
Stripy feather[140]
2,240
Bull ant pouch[2]
634
Stripy feather[145]
2,320
Spirit terrorbird pouch[1.8]
595
Stripy feather[165]
2,640
Ibis pouch[1.6]
3,072
Stripy feather[190]
3,040
Ibis pouch[1.6]
3,072
Stripy feather[215]
3,440
Granite lobster pouch[1.3]
3,793
Stripy feather[225]
3,600
Granite lobster pouch[1.3]
3,793
Stripy feather[230]
3,680
Granite lobster pouch[1.3]
3,793
Stripy feather[235]
3,760
Granite lobster pouch[1.3]
3,793
Stripy feather[240]
3,840
Total Output Value
39,620 gp
35,525 gp
40,425 gp
51,318 gp
57,443 gp
66,175 gp
67,400 gp
68,625 gp
69,850 gp
Output Items and Item Values
Raw rainbow fish[140]
34,300
Granite crab foragings[3.5]
5,320
Raw rainbow fish[145]
35,525
Raw rainbow fish[165]
40,425
Raw rainbow fish[190]
46,550
Ibis foragings[1.6]
4,768
Raw rainbow fish[215]
52,675
Ibis foragings[1.6]
4,768
Raw rainbow fish[225]
55,125
Granite lobster foragings[1.3]
11,050
Raw rainbow fish[230]
56,350
Granite lobster foragings[1.3]
11,050
Raw rainbow fish[235]
57,575
Granite lobster foragings[1.3]
11,050
Raw rainbow fish[240]
58,800
Granite lobster foragings[1.3]
11,050
Fishing XP
Fishing XP Total
11,232
11,600
13,200
15,360
17,360
18,273
18,673
19,073
19,473
Fishing XP by Item
Raw rainbow fish[140]
11,200
Granite crab foragings[3.5]
31
Raw rainbow fish[145]
11,600
Raw rainbow fish[165]
13,200
Raw rainbow fish[190]
15,200
Ibis foragings[1.6]
160
Raw rainbow fish[215]
17,200
Ibis foragings[1.6]
160
Raw rainbow fish[225]
18,000
Granite lobster foragings[1.3]
273
Raw rainbow fish[230]
18,400
Granite lobster foragings[1.3]
273
Raw rainbow fish[235]
18,800
Granite lobster foragings[1.3]
273
Raw rainbow fish[240]
19,200
Granite lobster foragings[1.3]
273
Skill Activity Ratings (Primary Skill)
Skill Activity Speed (SAS, XP/hr)
11,232
11,600
13,200
15,360
17,360
18,273
18,673
19,073
19,473
Skill Activity Profitability (SAP, gp/hr)
36,509
32,571
37,189
45,206
50,931
58,782
59,927
61,072
62,217
Skill Activity Efficiency for 100k gp/hr Opp. Cost (SAE100k)
-5.65
-5.81
-4.76
-3.57
-2.83
-2.26
-2.15
-2.04
-1.94
Skill Activity Efficiency for 250k gp/hr Opp. Cost (SAE250k)
-19.01
-18.74
-16.12
-13.33
-11.47
-10.46
-10.18
-9.91
-9.64
Skill Activity Efficiency for 500k gp/hr Opp. Cost (SAE500k)
-41.27
-40.30
-35.06
-29.61
-25.87
-24.15
-23.57
-23.01
-22.48
Skill Activity Efficiency for 1M gp/hr Opp. Cost (SAE1M)
-85.78
-83.40
-72.94
-62.16
-54.67
-51.51
-50.34
-49.23
-48.16
Analysis, Discussion and Tips for Success
General Discussion
If you fly fish using stripy feathers instead of regular or colored feathers, you get raw rainbow fish instead of trout or salmon. The pretty feathers and even prettier fish were added to the game along with the Hunter skill in 2006.
You'd think that since these were added to an existing array of mid-level fish, and given that they require special bait, that rainbow fish would have some obvious attraction to them: they would be fast XP, or the fish would have some special properties or something. But nope -- they are nice to look at but otherwise ordinary fish that heal 110 LP when cooked; they offer only average XP per catch; and fishing for them is painfully slow, even at very high levels.
There's no practical reason to fish for these, but if they interest you for some reason, I've included them here for completeness.
Location and Access
Like trout and salmon, the best place to catch these is at Shilo Village, on the island of Karamja. This requires completion of the Shilo Village quest, which is pretty tough; I assume you can do it when you have skill levels of about 50. The easiest way to get to Shilo is with the Karamja gloves 3 that you get from finishing the Karamja Achievement Diary; otherwise, you can use Hajedy's cart from Brimhaven.
Lower-level players will probably want to fish at Barbarian Village. This spot isn't very close to Edgeville bank, but it's not far, and there aren't really any other options that are better.
Required and Recommended Equipment
You need a fly fishing pole; make sure you don't buy a regular fishing pole by mistake.
Required and Recommended Supplies
You need one feather per fish caught. You can use colored feathers from Hunter, but don't use stripey feathers -- those are for rainbow fish only.
Familiar Suggestions
At level 38, start out with a granite crab. It doesn't do much, but will get you a few extra fish. At level 40 Summoning, switch to a bull ant, and at level 52, a spirit terrorbird. If you want to make more money (at the cost of a little XP), use a magpie at level 47 instead of a beast of burden. This is especially a good idea here because these are so slow you don't have to bank too often.
At higher levels, I recommend going back to fishing-related familiars; the ibis and granite lobster increase your effective Fishing level and forage fish themselves (worth good money and a little bit of XP).
Technique and Tips
Take out a fly fishing rod and some stripy feathers, then go to the fishing spots and fish until your inventory is full. Bank and repeat; that's pretty much it.
All information based on Grand Exchange price data from: May 20, 2012. Note that the three-day delay in price updates is waived for RuneScoop members.
All information based on Grand Exchange price data from: May 20, 2012. Note that the three-day delay in price updates is waived for RuneScoop members. 
