LockeColeMA wrote:
Wetlands has good mining for that very difficult Copper --- Tin --- Iron (155, I think) stage. It's a ***** to get to the iron level, but once you do, you skill up fast. The spider cave in the wetlands is great for that. You can skill up fishing anywhere, but must be above 35 to get over level 225 base skill. But 225 skill and lures will catch you stonescales... look at the trade skill sticky, that's what it's there ^_^;
Edit: Somehow I wrote Red Ridge instead of Wetlands as the location of the spider cave. The hell? Red Ridge is also good to find tin, but Wetlands is better, IMO
I've found 1000 Needles as a good place for copper/tin/iron. There are lots of nodes of all three.
Regarding fishing, It's fairly easy to get to 100 in any of the newby areas. Get to 225 fishing in The Wetlands, though. You'll make money by selling Oily Blackmouth and Firefin Snapper at the AH, and raise your cooking with Rainbow Fin Albacore.