Bag a Barra — 21 January 2022

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.

And I'm talking about redneck voiceovers, and one of the, one of the headline acts for that arrangement of artists will be this man, Watty. He was up in the Top End. What do you reckon you'll go, voices from commercials, we can have, you know, Bogan broadcasting? Yeah, well, I know I've got a face for radio, but that's the 1st half of it, isn't it? Oh, no, you're travelling all right.

I mean, I look like I fell out of a plane without a parachute on. I mean, I wouldn't be worrying about you. You're going OK. A bit of a worry.

It is a little bit of a worry. Now, I spoke to you through the week at night just to give you a call to say g'day and chat about something, and you told me that you were reading a book to, I think it was to your daughter, wasn't it? You were reading a book? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We read a book every night to the kids, yeah? which is fantastic, which I, and I didn't know how you, I didn't actually know that you would know. How to use audible. So what do you do to push play?

And she listens to it. That'd be an easier way to go, wouldn't it? That's what I'd have to do. Funnily, funnily enough, we do, we don't have a TV at our house. So the kids, um, we listen to a lot of the ABC kids listen app, which is really good for the kids.

They read books and play and stuff and yeah, so they like that, so they like listening to radio and music and things, so it's a good start for them, I reckon. I've got to say to you, I was up the case, well, camped up there for about almost 4 while I was there almost 4 weeks, and then, and then my, my missus, as you met before Blackie. She was there. She stayed and everything for a few more days after that.

And we have a TV in the caravan. But we never watch it. It's a, it's a... I mean, you don't go away to watch TV unless, of course, it's boring rain day after day and you might flick a movie on or something.

I mean, I've got all the gear in there. I mean, I've got Netflix and Stan and Foxtel, all that. But I never use it. I never watch it.

That's not why I go away. So when I came home. I thought, I'll just flick the TV on, and mate, I was a little bit like, wow. TV.

Look, I didn't even listen to the news. I just, I wouldn't have known what was going on unless people were telling me. Uh, but uh, yeah, that's it, it's TV's not everything, is it? Far from it, mate.

I've never owned a TV. Really? We turn the radio on 1st thing in the morning, and, um, listen to local radio, and, yeah, we get our new, you know, I mean, you get your news through, you know, um, the, um, radio, but also, uh, you got your news sources on Facebook and that sort of stuff, but the only thing that I ever would, would want to watch on telly these days is a bit of sport, um, not a hell of a lot of, of other things that interests me too much on telly, I can tell you that. I've got to tell you, there's a great show called Yellowstone. mate.

It's the best ever. I used to think the Sopranos was the best show ever, but Yellowstone is right up there, if not above it. And one thing everybody was talking about when we were away was Yellowstone. It's a great show.

It's a TV series that stars Kevin Costner. Have you heard of him? Do you watch movies? Oh, yeah, yeah.

cowboy one, isn't it? Well, it's a modern day ranch, but oh, mate, it's you can catch it on Steen. and it's, oh, mate, it's unbelievable. I love it. And yeah, but I like those sorts of things.

But like you say, you don't go away and for me, the bush TV is a campfire. I mean, so, uh, but I'm not really into, uh, you know, I was, when I got back and put the TV on and it's fairly large TV, I got here, and we turned it on, it was, I sort of like hit me in the face, went, wow, and uh, but anyway, you've never owned a TV. There wouldn't be too many people that could lay claim to that. That's right.

Well, um, yeah, uh, yeah, I'd get more enjoyment out of spending time with the family and being outside and um, I guess reading and and of course I'm busy with my own work too, so. And of course, putting your hand in a bar fridge or a an esky, you certainly love doing that. Oh, mate, mate. Hello?

You not telling me anything. Now, listen. Your trips aren't all happening at the moment, obviously, because of the wet season and the time of year that it is. Although there's plenty of fish being caught up there, as there is every day of the year, it's just the fishing capital of Australia, I believe.

I'm sending a mate of mine your way as well, Scott Hanna, who is the man behind Hannah's haulage, who's coming fishing up there. Great bloke. He's pretty, you got to watch him. He can be politically correct.

So you need to just, you know, be mindful that I know up in up in the territory. That's not really, you know, they don't really accept political correctness up there too much. So you know, you just have to bear with him. And so Scotty, if you're listening, just, you know, I'll get back in the real world.

No, I've got to tell you, mate, he's quite, he's quite the opposite. In fact, I said to him, mate, you'd go good living up in the Top End. He would go, well, he's heading your way, but you've been doing some stuff and producing your other content for your customers and potential customers. Tell us bit about that.

Yeah, that's right. I mean, this time of year, like I say, we're not doing any fishing charters, so it's um boat maintenance and getting ready for another year, but a big part of my business these days is the um is online education space, which has been really good. You know, it's sort of started, um, uh, my hand was forced into it through COVID, but it's been, it's been really good for me, and it's been great for, um, for I guess, the people that are participating in it too, and, and the broader darling community were doing workshops regularly about sort of, um, you know, the different seasons, how they get the best out of your pushing, and, and hints and tips all over the place, and then of course, we've got the main course as well. But right at the moment, I'm just putting together a couple of these um, sort of workshop masterclasses on um, Fishing for Barrow in the wet season and then, and then the big one, which is um, fishing bar in the runoffs.

So, you know, they, they're always free to, free to watch for anyone, so I can give, give them a really good head start if they're heading up this way, um, doing their own fishing, bringing their own boat and gear up, or, or even if they're going out with a guy to, can, um, give you a bit better comprehension of sort of why, why guides do what they do when they do. Sometimes it can look like we're probably just driving around in circles. Um, but, you know, there's a lot of planning that goes into every day's fishing and um, and any sort of knowledge that you can have to help yourself um, be engaged with that process, a bit more is, is always going to be beneficial for you. So, where will we will find this?

We on the Barefoot Fishing Safaris's website or Facebook page? Not on the Barefoot page. It's a separate ended here. It's a Barefoot fishing academy.

You can search it up. What about that, Bunchy? I mean, hang on a minute. I mean, the... Look, I know, I think we should have the Duck Academy.

The Barefoot fishing academy. Mate we're getting professional. Yeah, yeah, that's right. At least we'd like to have the guys of being professional anyway.

But yeah, it's it's it's got its own website. The courses grin takes at the moment, um just so that we can really help the guys that are actually in the course. Just open it periodically for small numbers of um new enrolments and um and that way everyone can really get the most out of it and um and sort of uh soldier ahead a bit quicker than they normally would be able to. Oh, it's a great idea.

And and and look, I think everybody who trapped, like blokes and girls, I guess. Well, not, I guess, I know, because we had that girl catch that fish last year and 110 grand. But everyone who heads to the territory on these sorts of trips that we talk about here, want to catch a Barramundi, it's just one of those things that I think it's just an Australian thing, and not just Australian, but for most people in Australia. I think they want to catch a bar of money, even if you're just a weekend hack or a casual fisherman, you want to catch a bar of money.

Obviously experienced anglers. Yeah, they're keen and they want to get up there and get amongst them as well. And I guess, you know, for those blokes, the dream is getting that one metre barrer. But when you've got a weekend hack like myself, you're just happy to catch one. So this is a great thing, so they can jump on, so it's, so it's Barefoot fishing academy.

That's a website, is it? Yeah, that's right. It's, um, it's, You, you won't find a hell of a lot on there um, throughout most of the year. Um, you can um, like we just do small intakes and the, the free content's always out there, out and about on the Barefoot Facebook page and um, and other places, but, um, yeah, we don't, uh, tend not to sort of, um, push it on people too much, or let them come and find us, and, and that way we really get the people that, that are going to in, you know, that, they're going to get the best value out of it, invest their time, and, and actually realise the, the benefits that they, they're going to get from the course.

Yeah, absolutely. It's a great thing. And like you say, you can get a little bit of knowledge before you head up there and know what to expect and know what to look for and hopefully jag that barrow. Or, of course, they can go with you. I mean, we we do say you can go with all the guides up there. But, of course, our favourite, Watty, is Barefoot Fishing Safaris, so we try to tell people to go to you, because I know just from personal experience.

You can catch a bar of money. I did even, and even though I was late arriving. I mean, um, which I still hear about. Um, I think if you want to get up there and that's what, even if you, you know, get up there, do all the attractions, there are, you know, and see everything there is to see in Darwin and, and the Top End in general, and there's plenty of it.

The war history, the experience at the Royal Flying Doctor Centre, the swimming holes, the pubs, the whole thing that makes the character of the northern territory. But one thing you want to do whilst you're doing all of that. Of course, these cats say paramundi. So the more you can learn about that and prepare yourself, the bigger chance you are.

So I, look, I tell everybody, if you're going up there, get onto you and, and, and you're a bigger chance for going out with you than doing it on your own. So, um, because you know where they are when they're biting, you know, what they're up to, what their, what their, um, you know, their behaviour is like at all times of the year. So, uh, I think it's uh, they can do a lot worse than get onto your gear and, and, and it's great that you're sharing this experience, mate, knowledge, which is fantastic. So, good stuff, so they can just check out the free content, check out some videos from time to time.

Barefoot Fishing Safaris, Facebook page as well as the website, and just every now and again keep an ear out for Barefoot fishing academy, which I love that name. Mate, they're catching stuff up there at the moment. What's doing? Yeah, definitely.

The big rivers are all fishing really well as well as the blue water, you get these little weather windows. We've just had a few days of monsoon will break period here where we will get our, um, sort of um, we don't get our rain till late in the afternoons, which gives you a good chance in the morning to get out and do some blue water fishing and Snapper and dew fish have been going pretty well. I know, but uh, yeah, certainly the, the big rivers like Shady Camp in particular has been fishing really well. The Daly River's been offline, I suppose, for the last week or so.

really, it's risen back up to about 10 or 11 metres there now from 4. So, uh, yeah, I mean, we'll, we'll wait for after the, after the weekend or a few days, time for it to start to drop again, then it'll fish really well again. But, um, yeah, the, uh, it's sort of, the good thing about the, the Top End I suppose is that, you know, um, there's always a couple of options for you um, at this time of year, depending on um, on the weather and, you know, which way the wind's blowing and and what the rain's doing.

Yeah, great stuff, mate. All right. Well, we'll leave you to work on that, Barefoot fishing academy and those educational videos and everything else that you do. It's great stuff.

The fact that you share this knowledge with people I think is a credit to you, mate. I don't know where you learnt it from, but you've, whoever it was, um, did a good job. I think you just taught yourself this is just your experience, isn't it?

Well, yeah, I mean, I've spent, oh, I've spent over 2000 days on the water in the last dozen years or so and getting back to what we were chatting about beforehand too. Actually, I don't spend hours and hours on TV. I'm sitting in front watching other people live in reality TV situations, so I've got time to put my brain with valuable information. I'm not a fan of it. not a fan of reality TV.

I just, yeah. I mean, look, I know there's a place where people love it and it's obviously at rates and they're probably good shows, but it's just not me. I just don't. No, they're not good. Ridiculous. I've got to say to you that.

Why don't you go next door and ask that you next door neighbour if they're talking to you yet and ask them, can you watch Yellowstone on their TV, okay? Okay. I'll keep it in mind next time. I've got a spare minute. Good on you, mate.

I reckon you'd get into Yellowstone. I reckon it's a bit of you, mate. You'd think you're back on the farm in Victoria, chasing sheep around. They're chasing they're chasing cattle, but it's a bit different, but you know, you get the gist.

All right mate. Leave you to it and we'll have a chat next week, eh? Good you, mate. Good on you, all the best.

Good on you, mate. You're a good man. That is Watty, and of course you can find him on Barefoot Fishing Safaris.com.au. That's the website. Or you can go to the Facebook page of the same name, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.

The best in the business in the Top End when it comes to fishing, and keep an eye out for Barefoot fishing academy, where he passes all that experience and knowledge onto you, and it certainly is helpful information, that is for sure, and a great bloke, and I'm looking forward to getting up there.