Fish

"Hello Duck! Going fishing? I'd take care If I were you." "Why?" "Well for one thing, if fish get into an engine's boiler, they always cause trouble. And for another, fish can be awfully smelly. And I know what I'm talking about. Good night."

- Thomas advising Duck

Fish is the twenty-fourth episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Really Useful Engines.

Plot
A special load of fish is ordered and extra vans are needed for The Flying Kipper and, to Henry's frustration, the only vans available are old and unused. Duck shunts them into position and moments later, Thomas arrives with the post train and he warns him to take care, reminding him of his own experience with fish. Henry is still complaining about his extra load, but his driver tells him that at least another engine will be there to help them.

At Wellsworth, Duck waits for Henry and when he arrives, he moves to the back to help him to the top of Gordon's Hill without getting coupled up. As the train nears the top of the hill, Henry begins to inadvertently pull away from Duck while the tail lamp on the last van falls off in the process. Worse still, Henry slows down while Duck suddenly loses sight of the train and tries to catch up, but accidentally crashes into the last van causing loads of fish to spill out.

The mess is cleaned up later that morning and the fallen tail lamp is found at the bottom of the hill. The Fat Controller tells Duck that the accident was not his fault and that the crew should have fitted the tail lamp on properly, and assures him that he will be in working order again. Duck reflects that Thomas' earlier advice about fish was right.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Duck
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Edward
 * James
 * Percy
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Gordon

Locations

 * The Lighthouse
 * Tidmouth Beach
 * The Seaside Village
 * Mountainside Runby
 * Road Beside Rail and Canal Runby
 * Tidmouth Harbour
 * Wellsworth
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Lakeside
 * Lakeside Bridge
 * Lakeside Junction
 * Neptune Refreshments

Trivia

 * This episode marked the last of a few things:
 * Duck's last leading role until the seventeenth series episode, The Thomas Way.
 * The last time the music first heard at the start of Thomas, Percy and the Post Train is used; it is played at the start of this episode as the narrator introduces the story similar to the said episode.
 * Stock footage from A Bad Day for Sir Handel is used.
 * A Lynton &amp; Barnstaple Railway van used in this episode is currently owned by Twitter user ThomasTankMerch.
 * Crates labelled "Fulton's" can be seen during the episode; these are either a reference to Fulton's Fish Market in New York City or set dressing props from the sister television series TUGS. O.J.'s model, Lakesider III, from said series also appears in the episode.
 * A reference to the first series episode, Thomas Goes Fishing, is made.
 * This is the first appearance of Henry's unused surprised or spooked face mask from Series 2.

Goofs

 * Duck's eyes are wonky in some scenes.
 * Throughout the episode, Thomas has Edward's whistle sound.
 * Thomas' eyes are wonky in the first close up shot of him.
 * When the narrator says, "Henry was pulling his train harder than he realised," Henry's eyes are wonky.
 * Henry's lamp is not on his lamp iron.
 * In a close-up shot of Duck, his lamp has no light.
 * In the Finnish dub, Gordon's English name is used by accident.
 * As Duck is shunting the vans, two of them switch places.
 * When they reach Gordon's Hill, one of the old vans switches direction.

Quotes

 * The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt: The accident wasn't your fault; we should have checked if this tail lamp was fixed on properly. We'll soon have you in working order again.
 * Duck: Thank you sir, Thomas told me to be careful about fish. They got me in a right pickle, didn't they?

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Thomas' Train and 17 other stories
 * Thomas and Stepney and other Stories
 * The Complete Series 4

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

WAL

 * Help and 15 other stories

US

 * The Gallant Old Engine and Other Thomas Stories/Henry and the Elephant
 * Fun With Thomas
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 4

AUS

 * Thomas and Stepney and other Stories
 * The Complete Series 4

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ

 * Thomas and Stepney and other Stories

NOR

 * Thomas and Stepney

JPN

 * New Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.3
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol.2
 * Crash and Smash! Look Out!
 * Best of Henry

PHL

 * Thomas and Friends Collection
 * Thomas and the Special Letter (Philippine DVD)

GER

 * Thomas Animal Adventure

SWE

 * The Engine and the Gremlins

NL

 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, James and Henry
 * Thomas and the Special Letter (Dutch DVD)

MYS

 * Thomas and the Special Letter and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Thomas and the Special Letter and Other Adventures

DK

 * The Brave Engine and Other Stories

ITA

 * Here Comes the Queen

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends
 * Thomas and Friends - Series 4 (Ukrainian DVD)

GR

 * Adventures at the Railway Station

DVD Boxsets

 * 3 DVD Boxset 2

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 (DVD)

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 11
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 9

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 15 (Thai DVD)

TWN
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 2