Bag a Barra — 25 December 2020

It's time to head to the Top End and Bag a Barra. With Glenn Watty Watts, Thanks to Shimano. Remember to buy local and fish local. visit shimanofish.com.au.

Well, you know, it's Christmas when we head to the Top End, and then almost at the bottom end, because Watty is down on the farm in Victoria. Watty, Merry Christmas. Yeah, you too, Doug. Well, you're down there.

You're probably working harder than you have all year, and we did this last year too. We caught up with you down there when you were hard at it. How is it? And is everybody happy to see you?

Do they reckon your hair's grown or anything like that? I reckon there's a few more greys? I think, but yeah, there's um, no, everyone's happy to see me. We've got the list of jobs on the fridge.

We're slowly ticking them off. The old fella seems to do mostly sheep work at this time of year. Yeah, you can just imagine I will just leave that there, love, to what he comes down. You can just imagine you get down there.

Now, how long are you down there for? Are we down for about 3 weeks? So, yeah, really enjoying it. We've got the Yobi 19

We been having a bit of a fish. We had a bit of rain the other day, so that was nice and yeah, just pleasant to be able to go dangle the toes in the water without worrying about them getting bitten off. Oh good stuff. Now, what about that, Louise?

I got that right, haven't I? My memory's not as good as it was. How's she going with it? Yeah, she's good.

She's, um, she's been keeping a pretty low profile, just relaxing watching, um, watching Netflix most of the time. I'm busy but yeah, yeah. No, she's she's having a good time. Yeah, yeah, well, I've been watching a bit of Netflix myself lately.

Anyway, what's that? It's a show. I'm not if I'm allowed to say it. Bunchy, you'll tell me. You'll be without called Schitt's Creek.

Have you ever watched that? I don't tend to get into that 1st thing. No, no, no, no. You got to watch it, mate.

You got to watch it. It's got the bloke out of American pie in it. Eugene Levy. Oh, mate.

and he's young bloke. It's a funny show. It's about these blokes who are worth 1000000s and 1000000s go broke and end up in a town that they'd bought years ago. that's, mate, pretty rugged.

and they're broke. Anyway, it's a funny show. Anyway, we digress. But it is Christmas time.

It is our Christmas show. Mate, I hope everything's been good. So Christmas has been kind to you and now you just put your hands to work. It'd be different for you. Is it good to get home?

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, it's great to get back and, you know, like we're driving around all these places that we're, you know, mucking around as little kids and and showing my kids that now, which is, I think, really important for me and and keeping a few of these sort of traditions and skills going along, you know, hanging the sheep and cutting him up for chops and catching minnows out of the creek and all that sort of stuff. place a fair bit of value in passing that sort of knowledge down, so it's a really good opportunity for us.

Yeah, it must be good. I mean, I know you've been at the Top End for right over 10 years now, but it must be good to get back home and do that. And of course, what you say. Pass on those traditions and those skills to the kids that they'll probably carry with them for the rest of their lives, especially all that stuff around the, you know, the hardcore farming and what you're saying, you know, turning sheep into the lamp chops.

Yeah, that's right. You know, something that is where we're sort of 4th generation here now and we would want those skills and knowledge to die with us. So, yeah, uh, my young fella is sort of just that age where he's sort of interested in knowing how things work and um, yeah, he's got a pretty inquisitive brain, so we keep, keep, um, you know, involving him all those things as we, as we go through and do him, which is really good. That's it, mate.

No, well, that's good and it's good for you too, to get down there. You know, it's, you've had a big year like everybody else, where it's been a bit different. It's been a bit touch and go, but you came through all of that and you got the new boat built and on the water and a few other things happening as well. And so you all in all, it probably could have been a lot worse for you this year.

It's actually turned out half all right. Yeah, that's right. You know, it just gave us opportunity to step back a bit, I suppose, and have a look at things from the, from a different angle and um, you know, just probably come out outside of it, actually better shape than it would be. Um, we've been able to diversify a little bit and that's only can be good for us um, going down the track and think a lot of people probably find themselves in the same situation.

So, you know, it's um some good things come out of bad things. Yep, 100%, mate, I totally agree with you, not cost the same. Few things didn't go our way. A couple did and next year's looking pretty promising.

So looking forward to that. All right, mate. Well, I wish you Merry Christmas, Louise, your kids and your family down there. Look, and 1st and foremost, mate, thank you for being a part of the program.

You certainly keep it diverse for us and give us that Top End contact, mate. It was a pleasure to spend some time with you earlier this year when I was up there. Thanks very much for looking after me up there, mate. And look, stay safe, enjoy this time of the year, mate.

And safe travels. We might even catch up with you next week to make sure you're surviving there. But just on this year, mate, like, again, thank you for your hospitality up the Top End when I was there, mate. And for your contribution of this show, mate, you certainly do give it a bit of credibility, especially when it comes to that top in fishing, mate.

Thank you. Not too often, incredibility and mine, I'm mentioning the same sentence there, duck, but I'll take it if I can get it. Thank you. It's been great pleasure being on every week and um, yeah, it's good to get the feedback from a few people, actually, bloke rang me the other day, saying, oh, listen to the duck show and I hear you're on there.

We're planning a trip. What can you tell me about it? So, um, you know, it's good that people are starting to take those steps and don't be afraid to give us a call and yarn about your adventures, even if they don't want to come with me, you know?

I'm happy to help anyone out that I can. So yeah, it's been great for everyone. I paid that bloke's invoice this morning. Thanks very much, Watty.

Good on you, mate. See you, mate. Enjoy it. have a good one.

Stay out of trouble and try and start the drink, okay? Yeah, good luck. See you, mate. There he is.

Yeah, man, Glenn, what do you watch? He's our fishing guru, and a great bloke, and I really look, look, he sent me an email. Jeez, well over a year. He went on the show now for nearly 2 years, and I'm happy to promote his business up there, and the fact that we now broadcast right across Queensland and huge parts of the Northern Territory now, which would be why people are contacting him and that's great.

And in Barefoot Fishing Safaris.