Bag a Barra — 20 December 2019

OK, let's head to the Top End, to Bag a Barra, with Glenn Watty Watts, thanks to Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Well, we're not heading to the Top End this week. In fact, we're heading to the Watty Christmas farm. Well, one of the Watty family farm for Christmas.

Is that right, Watty? Yeah, that's right. How you going, duck? Mate, better than, well, not going as good as you, because when we got you on the line, you see, but I've just got me head in the fridge, stocking up.

fridge, how big's the fridge? Some pretty big fridge here, mate. We got a couple in the woolshead too, so we keep very... Mate, where's the farm? So I'm originally from a small country town called Balmoral in Western Victoria.

We're just on the western side of the Grampians National Park. So very beautiful part of the country. How does a bloke from there end up at the Top End doing Barramundi fishing? Well, I tell you what, it's a bit hotter here today than losing down, and I can tell you that.

I'm up there for the cool weather obviously. Yeah, right, okay. I guess there's no, no afternoon. monsoon either on the family farm.

mate. Who's on the farm, mate? So tell us a bit about that. What, mum and dad, all the family?

What's the go there? Yeah, yeah. So we're, um, Mum and dad are here still. There's a couple of 1000 acres of this sort of rolling red gum country at the base of the Grampians.

We're about a 10 minute drive from Rocklands Reservoir, which is, um, now these days, heavily stocked with cod and, um, yellow belly and estry perch, which is going to be great in coming years, but yeah, we're sort of uh, 4th generation here. The house that we live in is built out of, out of bricks that my grandad made in the, in the creep, just down over the hill here, and he was one of 15 kids, and they all settled in the area as well. So there's a lot of family history in the area. Yeah, that's how good is that?

Are you the only one who's strayed so far away from home? Well, no, actually, I'm one of the closest. The other sister, she's in, or younger sisters in Clare, in South Australia, which is another nice place, of course. And then uh younger brother again is Dean and he's in Scotland and the youngest is Nick and he's in Antarctica. Okay, so you have Australia that far.

So you're not exactly the black sheep then. That surprises me, but still. 2nd closest and I live for 6000 K's away, so... Yeah, that's fair.

How good is that? Now, so yeah, so does what, everyone comes home for Christmas and spend some time at the phone if they can. Yeah, generally every 2nd year we're here for a big family Christmas, we'll probably have 40 here for Christmas lunch and then the big boxing day cricket match out the back and then on the 27th as always, pig on the spit and all the cousins and locals and stuff from all around the traps coming, call in for a beer and say good day. So yeah, she's a good time around the farm.

How good was that? Mate, send me the address. What I mean? Oh, there's head down to be van.

Sounds great. But that's a good time of year, mate, isn't it? And how long? So, obviously, I mean, it's, it is a quieter time for you because of the, you know, the wet season and stuff, and everyone sort of likes to take a break at Christmas if they can. So how long are you on the farm for, mate?

Yeah, I'll be back up, um, Top End on the 1st of December for a couple of jobs early, um, early January, but it is hard for us to plan trips in advance too much at this time of year, just because we really are expecting that monsoon to drop in from um, north of Darwin there, sort of any day now. And um, and it just makes it hard for people to plan and, you know, safely plan 3 days fishing without getting blown off the water and stuff. So, it's just the odd day trip here and there at this time of year, but it gives me a chance to get out and um, dust out a few spots and try some new techniques and stuff, which I'm really looking forward to doing sort of most January. So, try and get everything sorted out for all the crew that are booking right now to come up for that February, March, or that.

Yeah, February, March, April, May stuff, which is, which will be booked out probably by the end of, by middle of January. We've got a lot of administration to do while I'm down here. It's not all beer and barbeque shapes at the farm. I was about, you're some puppy, cute shapes, you imbecile.

I was about to say, do they put you to work down there while you're there? Get out there with some fence wire and a hammer. Oh, yeah, well, yeah, hopefully not fencing a bit hot out there, but I usually end up swinging off the down tube for a bit here and there. The old man came to the line a few up for me.

So, this is keep me informed, I reckon. But, you know, it helps work up a thirst and at least you feel like you've earned one then. Yeah, exactly right, mate. There is nothing like it. I try to spend most days trying to build up that thirst meself.

every time someone said, what are you doing? So, mate, I'm just trying to build up a thirst for later on. But, um, mate, do you get, do you get maybe the, eh? Yeah, going, sorry. Yeah, this time of year down here, it's pretty easy, you know, because it is hot and and like we're right next to a big reservoir and it's a big tourist there, great camping and fishing and things, so there's a lot of water skiing as well as, you know, the yamian and stuff.

That's one of the things we really look forward to doing is having a, having a fish in the lake and having a swim without getting, getting eaten as well as captain a feed of yabbies, you know, so yeah, it's good. Yeah, that's a good point actually, because most of the water holes up where you come from. You're a big chance of becoming someone's lunch, big lizards with teeth. So it's, um, yeah, that's the go.

So, yeah, it would be all right. But do you get many of the family members come up and visit you to spend some time up in your part of the world and have a look? Yeah, yeah, we, there's not usually too many months of the year, we don't have a caravan plugged into wall somewhere there. Um, a few, few visitors and um, you know, they always try and sneak out on trips and stuff and try and mow the lawns for paying for it and stuff like this, duck, but geez, it's hard to make a bloody living out here when you got, we had a family reunion 20 years ago and there was 400 people there, you know?

Yeah, well, mate, let me tell you, you won't be retiring anytime soon after I head up there, mate. Good. Oh, I'll put it this way. I'll look after you, though. plenty of cold beer with me, all right?

Yeah, yeah, well, that's a given, as we know. Yeah, welcome with open arms. All right, Watty. Well, mate, it's been a big year.

We're going to be broadcasting throughout the Christmas period, so hopefully we'll be able to catch you up. next week as well. But in the meantime, mate, thanks for being a part of the show. It's worked out well.

You sent me an email and said, g'day, this is who I am. This is what I can do, and I gave you a call, and you've basically been a big part of the show ever since. So mate, well done to you and thanks for doing that, mate. Look, I wish you a very merry Christmas, mate.

And I hope you have a great time catching up with all those family members down on the farm. Yeah, look, thanks to you, thanks to you too, duck. Like, it really is cool because I get a lot of feedback from the show. I've got mates that send me Snapchats every time they hear me on it and it's good to, like it really does show how, how wide the listenership is and everyone does love the show. So these are fellows that are listening to the podcast, you know, on the header and stuff like that at this time of year and in the wheelshed and that, so, yeah, good, good on you for making a show that, that, um, you know, it really does touch everyone, that loves a bit outdoors.

So yeah, maybe next week will be a redfin and cod report or something like that, something down here. Yeah, you never know. And mate, that's the thing, and you probably get it down on the farm. not sure if you check out flow FM.

Because we broadcast through Flow FM throughout Victoria and South Australia and also up in your part of the world on Kicks Country Radio in Darwin. So we certainly on, like, it's about 180 stations, and as of next week, it'll be a big welcome to old friends of ours to BS Bathurst in New South Wales, so we certainly look forward to broadcasting in the Bathurst as well, as of next week, and we'll say more about that next week when they can actually hear us, but they have taken our show in the past, so we look forward to that. But no, Watty. Mate, I'm glad and that's what this show's all about.

It's introducing people like you to another audience and you sharing your experiences and your knowledge with those people. And I know it's a pretty popular segment, one we sort of invented from nothing. And, um, I mean, that's because the sort of blokes we are, mate. We just, we just, we just, we just knock them out blokes and I think that people like that stuff. Oh, no, we did.

We don't care anyway. Long as we like it. All right. We've made all the best for Christmas you enjoyed.

Try not to have too many, will you? No, no, it's all about the hydration down here and try not to go over the top. Right, eh. I'll let you go back to stacking that fridge, all right?

Good on you, Doc. Merry Christmas mate. Yep, you too. And that was our man, Watty.

Don't forget, you can check him out. Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Barefoot Fishing Safaris on Facebook and if you want to book one of those trips for next year. Hear what he said?

It books out. January. So, look, if you're thinking about it, don't let the grass grow onto your feet, get onto it, because he'll book pretty quick, and like I say, those big long trips for you, those of you in all over Australia, they take some planning, and like I said, there's people planning those outback trips right now for next July, next June, July, August. So, um, if you're planning on or thinking about getting up to the northern territory for a fish, jump on there.

Barefoot Fishing Safaris, check him out.