Bag a Barra — 6 December 2019

OK, let's head to the Top End, to Bag a Barra. With Glenn, what he wants, thanks to Barefoot Fishing Safaris. And now, man, Watty, he's up there in the Top End, you'd know a bit about Club Marine, wouldn't you, mate? Yes, I do, Doc.

quite popular up here. Obviously, I don't think you're allowed to become a resident of the territory unless you've got yourself a boat. They don't let you in the pass the border gate South Australia there. So yeah, there's plenty of them insured with submarine up here.

And then not only that, mate, when you drive past the pub, you can expect a fine as well. Just for driving bars without stopping. Yeah, you got a call in. Yeah exactly.

What's that pub you drink at? The Dali Waters. Daly Waters, yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it's good pub. How many have you yet in there, you reckon? Oh, I've slit a few over the woody. imagine

I could just imagine. Try not to go too far above the fingers when I'm thinking about how many of those sorts of things. Yeah, I know. Anyway, happy days. Now you've, you're up there, you're sort of bunkering in for the wet season and doing all that.

The one thing we want to talk to you about. One thing, I don't know much about fishing is your name, but when I do get up there again, Watty, the 1st bloke I'm going to be ringing is you. You'll probably leave town actually. I'll ring up and say, why do I'm on my way?

And you'll be out of there. But mate, the one thing it was a bit of an act to this. He's fly fishing. Yeah, that's right.

So, um, like I mentioned earlier, I just got back from a weekend in Singapore chatting to a few of my clients over there and trying to organise their trips for next year. Um, which is a good little business trip for it. What about you? You're international.

You're international now. I've just been over in. geez, you can wrap yourself. I've just been over in Singapore, entertaining a few of my clients.

Yeah, yeah. Well, we're lucky here. See, we're so close to Asia. Singapore's a 4.5 hour flight from Darwin and it's actually cheaper to fly there than it is to in a state for us.

So, we can do that sort of thing over the weekend. So, yeah, caught up with a few of the guys over there and we're, we're organising their fly stuff for next year. So, we tend to um, what we need to do for fly um stuff up here is re- really um, figure it around the tides because we tend to try or, or fly fishermen tend to like to be able to see the fish before they even cast at it. So, it's important that we've got those really good water clarity and some good conditions for them to fish in.

So, we got to plan well in advance and that's why we're attacking our, our trips for next year at this time of year. And does that happen? Like a lot of the times you pick the tide rights, which obviously affects the depth of the water. When you do go fishing up there, you can see the fish.

Yeah, absolutely. So we're just about to come on to a good set of tides for fly fishing in the next couple of days actually. So we always start that, those trips sort of on the half moon, um, which obviously is, um, is when we get the least amount of water movement. So every all the sediment drops out of the water and it becomes really nice and clean.

And then building up, so we do like, do them for a week building up to the new moon or full moon, which is when you get a lot more movement, and the, the, sort of, the techniques and your tactics change a little bit throughout that week, but, yeah, the 1st few days, definitely, you're, you're just um, cruising around on your little electric motor, pretty much holding onto your fly in one hand and the rod in the other, and, and a lot of guys um, will wait until they see that fish, um, before they'll even have a cast. So, yeah, it's a, it's a very different way to fish than, so, so, throwing a few lures around and, and hoping you're going to come in contact with one or, or dropping a live bait out again. But um, yeah, it's a, it's probably the most engaging way, and definitely the most challenging way to catch, particularly our Barra, um, that we catch all species on, on fly up here. Yeah, right okay.

obvious knack to it. I mean, does it take a little bit to master that? Fly fishing? Yeah, it does.

I taught myself when I was a young fellow out of a book, and I've since been to a few classes and stuff, and the boys always say that I've got an absolute shocking technique, um, I tend to be able to get it in the right spot just through the amount of hours and practice I've done, but I'm actually going through a certification that you can become a, um, a certified fly casting instructor, which is an internet. It's a global um program and it takes you 12 months to do the work and and all the testing beforehand and they only do the, the actual exam once a year in Australia. So it is, it is quite technical and um, and it, and it can be tricky to get it right and, and a few small tweaks here and there, in your technique and style really can make a difference in your, in your catch rates as well, which is um, it's a good challenge. Yeah, I've seen people do it, and I've got a mate of mine who does a bit of fly fishing, and it just looks, to me, I'd

I just know I'd tangle it all up, but it just turned to absolute nothing for me. What's your favourite type of fishing? What? Throwing the lures around, mate, or what is your favourite style of fishing? Yeah, like, for me, it varies.

I really enjoy the, I guess, the experience as a whole of fly fishing, so it's, it's, as much about the hunt and and the, and sort of being out there as, as much as it is catching the fish. But, um, you know, in general, I, I'd probably put fly highest and then, and then throwing, casting lures at, at potential targets and, and then uh, sort of live baiting and refishing, um, just mostly because I like to sort of challenge myself, um, on my days off when I'm having, when I'm having a fish, and we, we take it easy on the clients when, when they're having a fish. Like a mechanic who works on cars, works in his own car and he's days off. It's just the way it is.

Although your job's probably a bit better than that. Mate, you meet you in Singapore when you're over there. So, I guess, I guess a lot of people, a lot of people from overseas, um, come to Darwin for a holiday just to specifically gave fishing for Barra. Yep, they do.

Singapore is actually a really interesting country as far as fishing goes. Um, most people would know that it's uh, it's really regulated and, and you are restricted with a lot of, uh, I suppose, freedoms that we take for granted here in Australia, like, simple things like, it's actually illegal to, to chewing gum in Singapore. Um, and huge fines for fishing in areas you're not allowed to fish and these sorts of things. So, they are, they've got big brother on them over there, a fair bit, and they do enjoy coming to, to Australia, particularly to, to fish. Um, and and and fish for Barra in, in Darwin, but also the Murray Cod stuff is getting very popular for them.

So all the guys over there are always asking us about the Maricod. Um, which obviously, yeah, it's um, the evolution of the, the Murray Cod sport fishery is, is really um, charging a head down south, which is, which is great. So I gives them an opportunity there. A lot of, lot of money in Singapore and and nowhere to go fishing.

It's actually illegal to go fly fishing in Singapore, um, but they do have a couple of fly, uh, dedicated fly fishing tackle shops over there, so they tend to bounce around the world to do their trips and and if we can be over there and in their face, um, they'll bounce to us. That's unbelievable, because it's one part of tourism that I guess I've already thought of, the fact that people will visit Australia just to simply go fishing, especially in your region. I mean, that's probably where a lot of the most popular fishing is. everyone wants to catch a barrow, don't they?

Yeah, that's right. Australia in general is a really popular destination for the guys from Singapore, simply because we've got our huge wide open spaces that, you know, everyone listening to this show, appreciates greatly as well as that, you know, the, the absolute freedom that we, we really do take for granted. Those guys just don't have it over there. Um, you know, the, the fellas that we were chatting to at tuckle shops on the weekend.

When they go fishing, they, they've got to pretty much do it in the dark and um, and away from the prying eyes of the authorities, they call them over there. Otherwise they, they, they get fine. I think it's up to $3000 for a um for fishing where they're not allowed to, as well as get chucked in jail. We've got a mate over there who spent 8 hours in jail one time because he was, he was fishing where he wasn't supposed to.

Unbelievable, isn't it? I mean, like you say, you certainly enjoy some freedoms here. And but that's just amazing. I mean, why is that?

Is that to protect their, is that to protect their own fishing industry? Or, or is it, why, why, you say, so tough? No, it's actually, it's really not to protect the industry because there actually isn't an industry there, which is a real shame. They've actually got a, uh, a tourism industry waiting to happen there if they, um, if they actually, um, sort of regulated the fishing a bit and and things like this. What it comes down to in Singapore is that they do like to have control and and they like to um be able to control uh the money side of things as well.

So, um, they, they like to have plenty of rules in place, and if, if you follow the rules, um, living in Singapore is an absolute breeze, but if, if you're a bit like, probably I am, and uh, have a problem with authority at times, it can become difficult. I probably don't need to go there, Watty. I mean, anyway. All right, well, all good, mate.

Well, that's, it's very interesting because I, it's unbelievable. We are so lucky in this country that we can just drive across borders. We can basically go where we like, you know, as long as we behave ourselves and like you say, we can go fishing, you know, with a fair bit of freedom. I mean, I know although in New South Wales, there are fishing licenses and things like that.

But still, I mean, you know, you don't get $3000 fine because you're fished in the wrong spot. I mean, it's just unbelievable. And no wonder. that's right.

Well, like, we, one thing I will say, like, I've fished in over 20 countries around the world, and without a doubt, Australia has the best system. You know, we do have a few marine parks, um, which are there for, for good reason, but, you know, like, particularly, um, places like Victoria with their fishing licensing, and um, and the way they're generating funds through licensing, and, and putting that back into, into the recreational fishery. It really is world class and and we are very lucky. Considering, yeah, you know, we went fly fishing in Darwin Harbour.

The other day, um, half a dozen species in about 4 hours, and we had Qantas jets landing over our heads into the International Airport, you know, so, that, that's a real sign that Australia as a whole is just, it's, we care, and, and we do value that, the outdoors and and the longevity of, of something like recreational fishing, so, um, and that's why, that's why these guys come over here because they know we, they know we give a shit. Yeah, no, fair enough. And obviously we do. All right, mate, we'll let you go.

mate, you enjoy and we'll get you on for a chat again next week. Good on you, duck. All the best. Good on you, mate.

and that was Glenn Watt, you can check him out on Facebook, Barefoot Fishing Safaris. He is the man. He certainly got plenty of customers from all over Australia and now we find out he's international as well.

And when you hear stories like that on a 4 hour flight, That is not too bad at all. So he's over there chasing some customers and wouldn't they be going out to go fishing with Watty when you can get into so much? I never knew there was such strict rules in Singapore for fishing.

And as you said, it's not that far away on an aeroplane to get there. So well done to him and it made fly fishing. Certainly is different. Not something I could master.

Flat out catching fish, just the conventional way, never owned fly fishing. I would certainly bugger that up in big time. But what he is our man, like I say, check him out, Barefoot Fishing Safaris. And if you're travelling up north next travel season or at any time really, and you want to go fishing with an expert, make sure you get onto Watty, he's our man.

Glenn Watt, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.