Bag a Barra — 10 July 2020

It's time to head to the Top End and Baga Barra. With Glenn Watty Watts, thanks to Shimano. Remember to buy local and fish local. visit Shimanofish.com.au.

And as you know, Watty has been preparing himself for the last couple of weeks, and it won't be long now. We drive into the border next week. Cannot wait to get in there and catch up with our man, Wadi, he is on the line. What are you g'day?

G'day, duck. How you going? How's the trip going so far? Well, mate, we're out of the Dell's grave in the Lawnhill National Park at the moment, and I've got to tell you, we are into the warmer weather, mate.

which is good. Yeah, that's good. Good on you. I saw you went for a paddle in a canoe the other day.

That looked like... Did you like that? Oh, mate, beautiful. Did you like that?

And what about how they how strong they make canoes these days? Did it have a little outboard on it as well? No, it didn't, buddy. It didn't have the little outboard.

The 2 shoulders working away as we made beautiful spot, mate, just up through the gorge and the little waterfalls up there in the Lawnhill National Park, and for people heading this way, you just go to Adele's, grab your paddle and they actually hire the canoes down there for the park, and they've also got some river cruises down there as well. So, certainly, we were lucky enough to have it to ourself, which is probably never going to happen again. But, mate, I've got to say to you, uh, though, Glenn, I know that you're up there and you've been waiting for me to arrive. It won't be long until you hear this, Watty.

You're listening to the camping and off road radio show, broadcasting from the Northern Territory, thanks to tourism and tea. Oh, you're getting excited, Watty. Yeah, yeah. I do love that music.

We spoke about it last week, but, yeah, it really makes you feel like you're out there, doesn't it? Oh, mate, it certainly does. And actually, I actually popped into the Walkabout Creek pub on the way up, and I've promised Frank, my man, that we will do a radio program from the actual Walkabout Creek Hotel on the way back. So I look forward to doing that.

But, mate, I can't wait to get up there and then, you know, blow the froth off a couple with you, mate, which won't be too much longer. And look, I've just, by the way, Wadi, I've got a, I'm getting a bit of mail sent your way. Just don't open it will you? I think it's some stubble. Incriminate me, are you?

The girls at the post office might look at me sideways. Ah, well, mate, it'll just have my name on it and care of your address, but I broke part of the mirror on the four-wheel drive and A camera, sending me another bottom section of my mirror and a couple of things I'm getting sent there. So, oh, keep an eye out that for, keep an eye out for that for me, mate. Mate, in the meantime, mate, we want to talk to you about some of the fish that we can get up there and hook into together, mate.

What are they? Yeah, that's right. So I was thinking about this earlier and your little photo from the other day in the canoe prompted me to think about a place that we're going to hopefully go to corroborate Billabong up here and one of the main species we catch in there that I target actively, particularly when we do the fly fishing and really great for surface fishing is Saratoga. Um, you actually get a different um, strain of them down exactly where you are in, in um, sort of Queensland area.

But same fish, they actually grow a bit bigger down there, but yeah, really interesting looking prehistoric fish that most people know nothing about, but once they see them, they, you, you get a bit in transform, they're pretty cool critters. Yeah, absolutely. And because everyone thinks fishing in the northern territory. the 1st fish that comes to mind of the barras, yeah?

Yeah, that's right. And these guys, the toga and Barra, in these billabong systems, they sort of cohabitate, and feed on the, on the same, same tucker, and they're living in the same habitat. So, we, we catch them as a crossover, I guess, um, by catch species a lot when we're doing the, the barrow fishing in the billabongs and and they're a really tenacious spider. They, they're a lot more um, sort of willing to bite when the barrow get a bit tricky sometimes, so they're actually a key species for, for a fishing guide like myself where you can generally rely on the toga and, and the barrow, you know, if they're playing the game, that's good, but um, you can, you can always go out and catch a few of them.

So, they're really important for the fishing tourism industry as well as, um, yeah, obviously just the, the, the ability to go out and catch them as a recreational angler. Um fairly easily is important. And what else, mate, is there anything else that you, you're sure to um, to latch onto up there that's worth, worth a bit of a crack? Oh, I mean, there's probably 20 sort of key species that we target, um, you know, day to day, depending on where you are and what you're doing, tides and winds and that sort of thing.

Um, so yeah, I mean, that's something I've always pushed is that it's not all about the barrow. Um, but Darwin's sort of a barr destination with all these other fish hanging around the side pretty close by and um, you know, things like GT's over, all over the rest of the world, uh, you know, that, they're their main target species, whereas for us, that's, that the fish you'll catch as a, as a bycatch when you're, when you're going for, say, a Spanish mackerel or something. So we're very spoiled up here and that's the, that's the one of the, like the beauties of the territory. Oh, and mate, which is why I'm looking forward to being sport by you when I get up there, Watty.

And we'll get out there and have a bit of a crack. I looking forward to it, mate. We'll do next week's program from Camelwheel, and obviously we record this program and then into the territory will come, and I look forward to catching up with you, mate. But I'll talk to you just before that next week and then we're on to it, mate.

And then after that, I'll probably have you with me on a couple of these shows as well, which would be great. Yeah, very exciting. It's coming up quick, isn't it? And you'll have a great trip to sort of gain some experience in inspiration from for a long time.

So yeah, you're in, you're onto a good thing there. Yeah, absolutely. And mate, you just remember with my fishing too, Watty. I got all the gear and no idea, okay?

Yeah, I think I've got some reviews on Trip Advisor that said that about me. Mate, just on that quickly before I let you go. Mate, how's the phone ringing? You get a few bookings?

Yeah, it is. It's busy. We're busy at the moment with the Northern Territory Tourism vouchers, which has been a good initiative by the local. I think it was actually the council that put that money up.

But yeah, as soon as borders open again. We'll be like August is very busy for me and and buildup will be busy. It's a shame Victoria's going the way they're going if not that time. fairly devastated clients had to sort of cancel or postpone trips again at the moment.

So, um, you know, the, the story goes on, but, um, yeah, like the people that, that are coming up, uh, yeah, we, we welcome them with open arms and I can't wait to get out, particularly in this new boat, um, be done by the end of the month. So, very exciting time. Yeah, what a beauty. Okay.

And we've mentioned it earlier. For our listeners in Victoria, we certainly do feel for you and you've certainly not forgotten. So anyway, it won't be long. It's just such a shame from the, you know, as a result of the behaviour of a few and stuff's up plenty. It's just so unfair.

All right, mate, we'll talk to you next week, eh? Yeah, mate, I look forward to it, closer and closer. Yeah, look, and look for those packages for me, mate. They'll be in the way very shortly.

Thank you, mate. There he is, our me and Glenn. What are you, what? You can check him out, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.

And if you are heading to the territory, and I suggest you do, and that's exactly what we'll be doing over the next few weeks, we're actually going to do 5 shows from within the northern territory borders. Cannot wait for that, and we'll be all over the place, and certainly bring the radio program to you at home, from those locations in the northern territory, and encourage you to visit what I believe is the rule Australia. I just love it. I mean, it's great up here.

I love North Queensland in particular Northwestern Queensland, where I am today. And of course, the jewel and the crown for me is the northern territory. Once you get up in there, you just know, you think, you know, how good is this? They certainly are blessed the people that are lucky enough to call that part of Australia home, that is for sure.

And Watty, being one of them, if you want to go and catch those fish at what he's talking about, Barefoot Fishing Safaris. That's him. You can find him on the website and you can also find him on Facebook, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.