Animal Crossing: New Leaf - How to obtain and use tools (shovel, fishing rod, net, watering can, slingshot, axe...)

You started playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf not long ago, and something as simple as finding some of the main tools has you puzzled.

How can you fish without a fishing rod, find fossils without a shovel, water your flowers without a watering can, catch a bug without a net, or cut a tree without an axe? What's more, you can now swim as long as you own the wet suit, or call the villagers if you have the megaphone. But where do you get it? How? Don't worry, here's where / how you can find each of those crucial items, including the special silver and golden upgrades:

Fishing Rod

Simply go to Timmy & Tommy's shop (it starts as The Nookling Junction) and find the item for sale. It's not there everyday but almost! 

• Use: Throw the line towards the fish by pressing A. The bait must be facing the fish in order for it to notice and nibble. 
• Silver Fishing Rod: Keep donating specimens of any kind to the Museum and eventually there'll be an expansion. When it's completed, the silver fishing rod will be for sale on and off at the second floor. It's easier to fish with it.
• Golden Fishing Rod: Complete the fish collection and show your encyclopedia to Chip at the Fishing Tourney. This one makes fishing even easier!

Net

This one also becomes available at the Nookling Junction, but it might take a couple of days to see it there. 

• Use: Press A to catch a bug fluttering in front of you. Sometimes it's trickier than that if they're on a tree, flower, on the ground, or even under a rock. If you hold the A button, you can sneak on them and then release the button to catch them in a swift move. 
• Silver Net: Keep donating specimens of any kind to the Museum and eventually there'll be an expansion. When it's completed, the silver net will be for sale on and off at the second floor. It's easier to catch bugs with it.
• Golden Net: Complete the bug collection and show your encyclopedia to Nat at the Bugg-Off Tourney. This one makes catching bugs even easier!

Shovel

Also available sometimes at the Nookling Junction. 

• Use: Look for star-shaped cracks on the ground and dig with the A button. You'll find either a fossil (to donate to the museum or sell) or a gyroid (collect them or sell them). You may also find a pitfall seed, which would have made you fall had you not dug it out and stepped on it instead. You can also use the shovel to hit rocks, which may make bugs come out, reveal precious ore (gold, silver, amethist...) or coins and coin bags (if there's one, there's more - keep on whacking the rock!). Also, you can dig holes and plant flowers or trees.
• Silver Shovel: Keep donating specimens of any kind to the Museum and eventually there'll be an expansion. When it's completed, the silver shovel will be for sale on and off at the second floor. You're more likely to find cash when you hit rocks with it.
• Golden Shovel: You must buy 50 fertilizer bags at the gardening store to get it as a reward. WIth it, you can plant money trees! This store is not unlocked until you've performed 30 good gardening deeds in town such as planting trees, watering flowers, pulling weeds, and such.

Watering Can

It took me a while to get this one. I just had to go to the Town Hall and read through all of Isabelle's advice! Nice gal, she gave me the watering can as a reward. Of course, you'll find it at the store at some point too, but I was getting impatient. 

• Use: Just face the flowers you'd like to water and press A. Flowers you've watered will sparkle for a while after you do it. Moreover, they'll look fresher the next day, even if they were wilted! Do it often to have a beautiful town. Later, you'll be able to enact the town beautification ordinance so all villagers take care of the flowers too.
• Silver Watering Can: Buy 50 or more flower seeds at the gardening store to get it. The store opens after you perform 30 gardening tasks in town (planting, watering, pulling weeds...) 
• Golden Watering Can: If your village looks perfect for 15 consecutive days (fresh flowers, no weeds or trash), Isabelle will give you the golden watering can, which sometimes grow beautiful golden roses when you water wilted black roses.

Axe

Like the other ones, you'll find it at the Nookling Junction at some point. If you can, buy more than one, as they break after a while.

• Use: Face the tree you want to chop down and voilà! Chopped. This helps you clear space for easier navigation or planting new trees and flowers.
• Silver Axe: This axe never breaks, but you'll only find it once in a while at the store in the tropical island.
• Golden Axe: It never breaks either, and it allows you to cut trees faster. This one you get after purchasing 50 saplings at the garden store. Again, this establishment opens after performing 30 positive gardening tasks.

Slingshot

The slingshot becomes available for purchase once in a while after the first Nook store upgrade (T&T Mart). Also, you might get it by catching a flying balloon with the net at the edge of a cliff.

• Use: With the slingshot, look up and press and release A to shoot pellets at the balloons hovering around town, giving you access to the present they carry. You might get the speciall balloon furniture!
• Silver Slingshot: This one shoots two pellets at once. You'll get it after popping lots of ballons and shooting down a rare silver balloon.
• Golden Slingshot: Shooting three pellets at once, you're golden! This one you get after shooting down the golden balloon, which is even more rare.

Timer

Spend 10,000 bells at Nookling Junction so the store upgrades to T&T Mart. Here you'll find the timer for sale.

• Use: Set the timer to challenge yourself and your friends to catch as many insects, fish, or deep-sea creatures as possible in a certain amount of time. A countdown and item counter appears onscreen.

Megaphone

After spending a good amount of money and a certain amount of time has passed, you'll see new store upgrades. When T&T Mart turns into Super T&T, you'll find the megaphone for sale once in a while.

• Use: Equip the megaphone and press and hold the A button while yelling the name of a villager. Their answer will lead you in their direction, unless they're simply at home.

Wet Suit

Buy the wet suit at the tropical island after you play and win several mini-games, earning medals. 

• Use: Equip it like other clothes, go to the shore and press A to swim. Press Y to dive and tap A to speed up and / or swim underwater. That's how you get deep-sea specimens! Just beware of jellyfish (quickly press buttons to recover if you were stung).