Gone Fishing (episode)

"Water off a duck's back, remember!"

- Porter

Gone Fishing is the twenty-fourth (thirteenth in Australia) episode of the seventeenth season.

Plot
One day, Harvey is loading flatbeds of machinery at Brendam Docks when Porter arrives. Porter has never seen a crane engine before and is therefore interested in Harvey. He thinks Harvey looks like a really useful engine. Then Bill and Ben arrive and see Harvey. They tease him about having a hook and ask if he is going fishing.

Harvey shrugs off the twins and their teasing, but when Porter accidentally bumps into a truck and the twins call him a "bumpy boiler," Harvey becomes a little annoyed. Porter tells Harvey to ignore the twins and let their teasing slide off him, like "water off a duck's back."

Later Harvey has loaded the flatbeds for Vicarstown. Edward is due to take them, but is delayed. Harvey suggests Bill and Ben should take them, but they claim to be needed at the claypits. Porter then suggests that Harvey should take them. Harvey is not so sure as he does not usually pull cargo. The twins then suggest he pick the flatbeds up and carry them, like fish. Porter reminds Harvey of "water off a duck's back," which changes Harvey's mind. The Fat Controller says it is an excellent idea and allows Harvey to proceed.

Harvey finds the job fun at first, but when he comes to Gordon's hill, he realises that it is a lot harder to puff up it as he expected. But after some encouragement from Thomas, he makes it to the top. However, he does not realise that he should apply his brakes and he races down the hill too fast. At the bottom is a bend and Harvey's speed and emergency braking causes the flatbeds to derail. Harvey is upset and wishes he had not taken the flatbeds.

Harvey begins to think about what sort of things Bill & Ben will say. After remembering what Bill and Ben said about using his hook, Harvey puts the flatbeds back on the rails in no time, even assuring Gordon when he stops out of concern that everything is fine and delivers the trucks to Vicarstown. He realises that he can pull trucks, which makes him very happy.

When Harvey returns to the docks, the Fat Controller has just finished his meeting with the Dock Manager. He praises Harvey and calls him a really useful engine. Harvey suggests that he can use his hook to go fishing, which causes everyone to laugh.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * Bill and Ben
 * Harvey
 * Porter
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Dock Manager
 * Rocky (does not speak)
 * Cranky (does not speak)
 * Merrick (does not speak)
 * Emily (cameo)
 * Diesel (cameo)
 * Salty (cameo)
 * Skarloey (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Edward (mentioned)

Locations

 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Blue Mountain Quarry
 * Animal Park
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Shunting Yards
 * Coastal Cliffs
 * Vicarstown (mentioned)
 * Sodor China Clay Company (mentioned)

Trivia

 * This episode marks the first of a few things for Harvey:
 * His first appearance in full CGI.
 * His first speaking role since The Great Discovery.
 * His first appearance since the twelfth season episode, Saved You!
 * This marks the first time that he has been the main character in an episode since his debut in the sixth season episode, Harvey to the Rescue.
 * Going by production order, this is the thirteenth episode of the seventeenth season.
 * Digiguide lists this episode as Episode 5 of "Thomas & Friends: Thrills and Spills."

Goofs

 * When Harvey's trucks derail, a flatbed and the brake van overlap onto the other line, but in the next scene they do not.
 * Bill and Ben sometimes swap whistle sounds.
 * When Bill and Ben first arrive at the docks, Porter can be seen whistling, but one of the twins' whistle sounds is heard.
 * At multiple points throughout the episode, Harvey's chuffing noise is inappropriate for his speed.
 * When the Fat Controller says "You have proven that even a crane engine can help pull cargo," the red door behind him is open, but in the very next shot, it is closed. When the camera zooms out in the final shot of the episode, the door is open once again.
 * In the scene where Gordon puffs by while Harvey is re-railing his flatbeds and he lowers his hook, the end of the chain can be seen in the slackened part of the chain on his crane arm. The render did not extend far enough to accommodate the long chain.
 * When Thomas meets Harvey on Gordon's Hill, the line only has two tracks. However, once Harvey reaches the top of the hill, the line has three tracks.

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - Harvey's Hook and Harvey the Crane Engine

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * The Complete Series 17
 * Spills and Thrills

DVD Packs

 * 10 DVD Boxset (2014)
 * Limited Offer DVD Box Set
 * Special Edition Box Set

AUS/NL

 * Spills and Thrills

US

 * Spills and Thrills
 * Season 17 (Digital Download)

DVD Boxsets

 * 2 DVD Boxset

Thailand

 * Henry's Hero

JPN

 * Jobs in the Mountains and the Sea

CHN

 * The Afternoon Tea Express (Chinese DVD)

GER
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 * The Thomas Method