Bag a Barra — 30 July 2021

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 Shamanofish.com.au.

That's right. He's our local fishing identities from Barefoot Fishing Safaris up there at the Top End and he's on the line. Watty, wish I was there with you, son. Good day, duck.

Yeah, it's quite putting up here. No worries about that. Oh, mate, it always is. I mentioned earlier, and a mate of mine, ooh, I actually bumped into you when I was up there last year with you. And remember, I think that night I told you, I went to that restaurant.

It cost us 1000s to get out of there, and that was, I think, the drink bill was probably the 90% of it, but anyway, and that was the girls with the cocktails. But he's on his way back up there, me mate, Tony Cowell from Pro 4 by 4 in Adelaide, and he's sending me pictures of the Daly Waters and just rubbing it in, camped at Cooper Creek on his way out and way up, and I think you can expect him up there at the end of the month, mate. So I look out for him. Mate what's doing?

You're telling me through the week that they're opening a couple of the billabongs up there, mate, the ground kakadoo. Yeah, that's right. It's, um, it's taken a, perhaps a little bit longer than normal, um, or not normal longer than the last couple of years, I suppose. Just because things stay pretty wet out there, of course.

takes a while for the floodplains to dry out and their tracks to get dry enough to get in. So, um, they're one of the, probably more famous and it, and one of the beautiful ones out there, uh, 4 mile hole recently opened up, which is um, spectacular little spot. It was closed last year because of low water levels and a bit of an infestation of a, the bad weed, which is something that we can probably touch on as well, mate. But yeah, there's been a lot of fish caught out there.

I'm actually hoping I might get out there next week myself. Yeah, that's all right. Sounds fantastic. And that's the thing up there because they can't have a set date of when things open, do they?

I mean, everything's basically dependent on weather conditions, whether it's a big wet season or it's a, you know, a light on wet season. It wasn't a bad wet this year, or last year in an early part of this year, and I guess when that happens, things like opening up these sorts of places do get delayed. Yeah, that's right. He is, you know, um, I think we have, uh, it was definitely above average wet, but, uh, yeah, in past years, we wouldn't normally expect these sort of places to open up until mid-year. um, and when they do, everyone lined up at the gate, for the rangers to come and open it up. And, yeah, like I mentioned before, one thing to be mindful of, for anyone who is going out there, is that, um, that area does have a floating weed in it, which is, um, largely gets flushed out on big wet seasons like we've just had, but, It's really important to be mindful not to transport that weed to other waterways and have it infect. Like a new system, which doesn't have it yet.

So, just be mindful, there's a washdown pump out there, I believe, and you've got, give your trailer a good wash before you leave and you'll be right. Yeah, unbelievable. The thing you've got to think of up there when you're going fishing and the like, it's incredible and certainly and respect all of that and do the right thing. So if you are up that way, make sure you do the right thing, I'll flush everything out, wash everything down so you don't carry that weed to your next fishing spot.

Mate, um, things have quite, not for a little bit for you, and that's because of what's happening down here, yeah? Yeah, that's right. It's amazing how everything sort of affects um down the chain. We've had a fair few cancellations from some bigger extended charters um coming up in the next uh few weeks, um thanks to the current lockdowns, which is a shame, the Darwin cups.

A lot of people are going to miss out on that. It's, um, it's up, um, it might actually be, um, this week again. So that's pretty exciting for us all. and um, yeah, unfortunately for a lot of the Sydney side as well, anyone in New South Wales, they won't be able to get up for it. Yeah, it is a real shame.

It's amazing when people think about the, you know, obviously the lockdowns, you know, in wherever they are, have a huge effect on the economy and the like and businesses and small business in particular. Cops are hammering, as do the, you know, just the, you know, the, the average Joe Blow workers that work for people, and they all cop it. But while people don't realise that as far away as Darwin, it has effect on a little business there, which would be yours. Yeah, that's right.

I mean, we, we probably will pick up work from South Australia and Melbourne that's, um, that all, uh, people that are escaping lockdown, but at the same time, there's not going to be the, um, I guess, the numbers of people sort of coming up at the last minute, um, that we, uh, compared to what we already had booked. So, it's real shame, but it gives me a chance to get some maintenance done on the boat and tie a few for, eyes, and um, of course, spend time, take, uh, time taking the kids, camping and fishing and to soccer and all those other things that we do. So, yeah, I mean, it's not the end of the world. Doing the lawns, drinking beer. I mean, I know how it works up there, mate.

Don't worry about that. Listen. But that, no, but mate, are you seeing? Because look, I'm seeing a lot of video and photos and posts on social media with still, although, you know, there's been lockdowns and there was some in Adelaide and then Victoria and now New South Wales has got a problem.

But mate, I'm still seeing plenty of people out travelling, is it still busy up there? Yeah, it is. That's right. It is, um, still very busy.

because I guess there's still plenty of people that aren't in lockdown and I guess the what you're seeing, the people that were already on the road anyway. Yes. Um, you know, they've been on the road for, before the lockdowns, um, or before the border closures, hotspots, and that, whereas the, the effect or the immediate effect that these um, hotspots have is, is obviously the guys who are flying in specifically to do one activity and then them flying out, but certainly the caravan parks are flying and, and um, you know, those driving type holidays are still really good and very busy. Yeah, good stuff. I know they struggled last year when I was up there, it was fairly quiet and we basically had the run of the place and some of those places we went to.

It was very, very quiet. I guess to our luck, it was probably a good time to be there because we got to see a lot of it on our own. or limited numbers of people with us. So it was, but, you know, not good for business, so it's good to see that this year, things have picked up for them.

All right, mate, well, we'll let you get back to those chores and pumping up the soccer balls and whatever else you're doing, putting ice in the cooler box. I'm tripping out to be the 1st job of the day up there. And we'll let you start playing those trips out to some of those waterholes, mate, and we'll talk to you next week, eh? Yeah, beauty, mate. Good on you, take it easy, you stake down there.

Yeah, doing the best I can, mate, with the equipment I have. What are you as you know? Yeah, that's a worry in itself. I know.

See you, mate. There he is. That, of course, is Glenn. What do you watch?

He's the man. You need to jump onto his website, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.com.au. Check him out on Facebook as well. Same name, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.

He will look after you. There are plenty of guides up there, but he is our go to and our number one, and that's who we go fishing with when we head up there, although I've only done it once with him. But I'm recommending a few people towards him anyway. So he needs to get, if you want to go up there, want to go fishing in the Top End, with one of the best in the business, go with Watty, he'll look after you, Barefoot Fishing Safaris, jump on that website.