Bag a Barra — 31 July 2020

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

Now, for, oh, geez, for as long as I can remember now on this radio program, we have been crossing to Wadi up here in the Top End. Last week, he joined me for some extended chat on the show as he was sitting next to me there at the Free Spirit Resort when we did the program. But I've never been out fishing with him. Now, look, I'm going to say, if you're ever going to go out fishing with Glenn Watt from Barefoot Fishing Safaris, don't be late because he does not let you live it down for, how long's it been now?

Almost a week. Watty? G'day. There you go, mate.

You're running on time today. Yeah, yeah. What about that? I've pulled up and I get the 1st good afternoon.

Reminisce my old man. I caught that absolute hammering. But anyway, but it was worth the wait for me. I've got to tell you, but we went out to corroborate.

Mate, what a great experience that was, right from the, right from the time that we uh, we jumped in the car and and headed off, um, and we went out along the road out, you know, towards Corrobory and we pulled up at the Corrobory Tavern, and we waited. Thank God we waited for the Bacon League rolls to be made and then off we went, mate. It was a real experience out there. Yeah, that's right.

And that's what I've mentioned in the past. It really is, um, that's sort of our cornerstone trip, uh, everyone who's never been to the territory before, and like you appreciate now. I think I actually saw you having a little bit of a moment as we're driving down the billabong there, you know, like, it's so beautiful and so accessible, and obviously, you know, if you, if you play the game right, you can have some pretty good fishing as well. So yeah, I mean, it's a, it's a, we're so lucky to have that right at our doorstep.

And that moment was me actually just laughing to meself because I thought, how good is this? When I think back at times when, oh, you know, you're in the big smug and you're looking at the window of a building at another building, and here we were in such, even if you didn't catch a fish, even if you didn't take fishing gear with you, to be out on that billabong was just amazing. There's, you're basically, you're there. at nature's best. It's just incredible. Yeah, absolutely.

And there's plenty of people, as we saw, that are just cruising around without any fishing gear. Got the big party barges there. You can hire, take the barbeque or don't even have to take a barbeque, take a bit of... Our lines dropped a bit a bit funny there.

You there, Watty? Yeah, I'm still here mate. Oh, good stuff. Okay, okay, all good.

you just disappeared there. Yeah, that's right. And I noticed there was a couple of houseboats as well. But mate, you obviously had a lot of knowledge as we took off on the boat and then there were lilies everywhere, huge lily pads, like just everywhere, and then there's a little channel that runs, you know, through there, and not in a straight line, by the way.

It's a lot of twists and turns and you know, I thought, where the hell are we going? But mate, you knew your way through there. Yeah, that's right. I could probably do that one with my eyes closed nearly.

something that I do for most groups just because it's really cool fun going through there, but it actually leads up to some pretty good fishing as we've found. I think um, was it you? They caught a Saratoga on about your 2nd cast up there. Yes

Yeah, that's right. And I had to check with you that I was doing it properly and then bang, oh, if I went. Yeah, that's right. And then you didn't shut up for the rest of the trip trying to coach everyone else how to do it, which I thought was interesting.

Well, yeah, that's what I'm like, Watty. I like to take charge. But then, yeah, that's right. And we were with your lovely partner, Louise, as well, and who, I honestly believe, deserves a massive, I don't know, the size of the medals they make up here, but whatever it is, she'd need the biggest one to be, you know, living with you.

I mean, that would be... I mean, she wouldn't want to be late getting home or late getting anywhere. I mean, like you'd just imagine the hammering. But then she was very good at it too.

And then, obviously, Mrs. I think I think I think Louise got the 2nd one. and then my missus got one and the only person standing there who hadn't got anything was our guide for a while. Yeah, that's right.

Just like all good guys, mate. You've got to put the clients first, but I think you'll recall that I had a fairly flurry towards the end there and came through with the win. but anyway. Yeah, you did, you did finish strong, you did, you did say, here I come.

But I got to say, I think the moment of the day for me, apart from the quick beer at the Corroborate Tavern, and then, of course, lunch at the Humpty Doo pub on the way back, because it was, it is a day experience with Watty, was catching that bar of Monday, mate, you just talk us through my technique about how, because you did, you give it to me about that as well, but I still caught it. Yeah, I should. I'll put the video of it unedited straight up onto my Facebook page later on and everyone else can see what sort of chaos ensued. But yeah, the barrow we're hanging out a bit wider off the lily pads, as they often do. And I went back there the following day or the day after and got a few more in that same sort of technique and yeah, so as a lot of people sort of end up doing with their 1st fish.

It all gets a bit chaotic with everyone screaming and the fish jumping and pulling drag and you're going, what is it? What am I doing? Am I doing it right? And looking around and carrying on, and as a lot of people do, you try to wind the barramundi's lips through the end of the rod in the, trying to get him towards the net.

Oh, mate, I just, I thought, mate, I've got this and I thought, there is no way I'm going to let this be the one that got away. There'd be nothing worse than to say, how'd you go with the fishing? Well, mate, I had a big bar of money, but he got away. And it wasn't a bad size either, mate.

He wasn't a bad size, was he? Yeah, that's right. He was good. He was probably he'd been 60 odd, I think.

And nice big fat fish and the water is nice and clean in there still this year. So you did take him home for dinner and I think he ate up pretty well, didn't he? Yeah, he did, mate. We actually, he went out.

Well, for the 2 of us, we spread him over 2 nights. It was pretty good and mate, I was rat, mate. I can only, I can't thank you enough, mate. It was a fantastic morning out there.

And for anybody who comes to the northern territory. fishing's a big part of it. And obviously, you've got Watty, and of course, you've got a lot of other fishing guides as well in this area that'll take you out and give you that experience. But I've got to say, Watty.

And you are right that moment, when we were burning along, we're going to that other spot, and I'm just sitting there and I just started laughing. I just thought, man, I mean, this is as good as it gets. It was just amazing. Just that, it's hard to explain.

It's just certainly just to be out there as, and beautiful sunrise, as the sun came up, and we're out on the water, in that part of the world was just surreal. You can't explain it, you need to do it yourself. And if you are planning on doing a trip up to the territory. Make sure that you get onto Watty or one of the other fishing guides and take you out to corroborate Billabong for that sunrise fishing trip.

It's just incredible. I can't put it into words, mate, but thanks very much, and I'm sure, before I leave this part of the Northern Territory, we'll have a few beers to celebrate that Barramundi as well, mate. Yeah, that's right. You do remember that I'm moving house at the moment you're supposed to. I don't care, don't you?

I know what's supposed. I made sure I've been busy. Well, I'm not real good at carrying boxes. Sorry how much gear you got.

How is that going, by the way? you get on top of it? Yeah, yeah, we'll be on top of it because we've got plenty of boats and stuff. We just launch all the gear into the boats and the shipping container and we do it in one gate pretty well, so job right, you know?

So we should be able to squeeze a couple of quiet ones in at some point. I reckon we will. All right, of course. we'll make it happen

All right, Watty, thanks again, mate. You're a good man, and like I say, it was a great experience out there, and mate, it's one I won't forget for quite a while, and if you're going to put up that video of unedited version. I probably won't forget at all. Thanks, mate.

I'll put a language warning on it first. What did you swear, did you? I think you might have swear to some stapes. Yeah, probably in the cheers.

I think I went, what about this? Beauty. Anyway. Well, I'll talk to you later, mate, and we'll have those beers before I get out of it before I leave up here, eh?

Good on you. All of these. Good on you, mate. There he is, Glenn.

What do you want? Who is the guru at Barefoot Fishing Safaris up here in Darwin and like I say, look him up and while you're at it, look up all the other fishing guides as well.