Bag a Barra — 18 November 2022

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

Well, he survived the dog wedding a couple of weeks ago and apparently he had a big one there and he's been out and about. He's been on a mother ship. We couldn't find him last week, but he's on the line now, man, from the Top End. Watty?

How was the dog wedding the other week, mate? G'day, Doc? Yeah, well, it was the best dog wedding I've been to, mate. that for sure.

Well, mate, it might have been news down here. I mean, anyway, which was fantastic. I mean, and then obviously you joined us with the John Stanley program on Friday night that week and give us a bit more detail on that. So it all went off without a hitch.

Where was the honeymoon at? Yeah, well, who knows? Probably down the local dog park, I suppose, there's sniffing a few bums down there or something, but yeah, it was a, it was a hell of a fun day and they raised a heap of money for uh the RSPCA and pause up here that do really good work, rehoming dogs and stuff. So, yeah, that was, that's a nice side effect of, of, of a fun day like that.

Yep, that is for sure. That's what it was all about. And very, very funny, and like we said at the time, only in Australia and more in particular, only in the northern territory. You, you blokes up there will come up with any reason to get on the drink. And look, look, don't look, look. I going to say to you now, Wally, someone up there at the moment's opening an envelope.

You better get around there and have a beer and celebrate, mate. Yeah, yeah, that's right. I just did mine, mate, actually, and I'm got me on a king brownie shortly. Yeah, fair enough, mate.

Now, listen, you've been on a mothership. What was that about? Where did you go? Where was it?

Yeah, that's right. It's actually a bit of an end of an era thing for us up here. The, um, the boat tropic paradise that we've been using for the last 10 years or so has been sold and moving, moving over to Queensland to base out of Weepo, which is um, exciting for those guys who are getting their hands on it. But, um, yeah, the last trip for us up here, up to Arnumland, and, um, yeah, we, we did 6 days of fishing, flew the clients in out on a float plane.

It is a bit of a celebratory um last gesture up there and Heard some awesome fishing, some really hot weather, of course, and plenty of rain, but um, yeah, I mean, of course, the, the, the bar a ride on the bike and uh, and it was a really spectacular trip and then, yeah, drove back up the river myself and then, and then home yesterday, are they? So, um, you know, a little bit of a tear in the eye as we left the system for the last time, but we'll get back at some stage, I'm sure. Bring a tear to a glass eyes, I say. That's right. Now, listen.

You say the barrer on the bike. So they bite better. They, they, they, you know, on the bite more in this time of year than now, like, say, through wintertime and there's a lot of tourists here. What's the go?

Yeah, it is easier. Um, to get them to buy it this time of year, mostly because they, they do tend to group up a bit more um, as they ended their sort of breeding pattern of their life cycle. You know, it's triggered by water temperature and salinity level in the water. Um, it, it's a very uncomfortable time to fish, uh, in this bloody hot steamy weather that we got up here at the moment, but yeah, quite often one of the, you know, the sort of things that you've got to think about up here is that the more uncomfortable we are, the, the better the fishing's going to be type things.

So, um, yeah, those, those cooler months are still a good time to come up and, and catch them as you uh, experience, but also um, can be a bit trickier and he's got to change the way you do it. Yeah, and I guess too, I mean, obviously you get up there in the cooler time of months and really, you know, whether you say the cooler, the cooler time. It's, you know, the cooler down south is still beautiful up there. It's a great time to head it, to hit the, you know, the northern territory.

But, you know, as we get closer to summer and that wet season and that tropical weather and the humidity and all that, okay, it does make it a bit uncomfortable. Although, I think it's probably still a great time to head up there. You're getting the light shows at night. How's the rain? You had storms, bit of rain?

What's happening? Ah, yeah, definitely. I mean, it was beautiful out sitting on the deck of the motherboat over the last week or so, you know, you've got no sort of light pollution. or anything else around and watching the sun sets and the, really uh, extensive light shows, lightning sort of all around us, um, each night is really spectacular and, uh, yeah, I mean, it's definitely, it's definitely wet, um, sort of uh, we're ahead of schedule for our wet season rain. I suppose we had 38 mil at my joint last night.

I just started washing the boat and um, and it rained for about an hour, 38 mil, and then I didn't have to wash the boat, so it worked out really well. 38 mil an hour. Yeah, yeah, it probably wasn't even quite that, bit over half an hour. Unbelievable.

Well, that's unbelievable. And I mean, that's just incredible. and I guess and what do you do? You just, because people don't run from it.

do they? up there? They just sort of go, yeah, good, Z, just understand in it. Where were you?

Yeah, a lot of the time. Yeah, you actually walk out into it because you need to cool down half the time, but, uh, no, I just, um, went under the veranda and stood there and watched it while I sucked on a can and waited for it. Oh, you got to love it. and sat down and watched it and suck it on again.

Mate, has anyone won any big money on the fish, the other 10 grand has been jagged or anything bigger? Uh, yeah, well, I've just been away for a week, but before, um, before I left, I were coming in red hot. I think there was 11 court uh last time I checked, it would surely be up to 15 or so by now. A couple of local blokes down here, have caught 2 or 3 of them over the last few years, so they're rolling in it.

Uh, yeah, but, um, yeah, the, the good fishing and and the proper buildup, whether they were having just keeps those fish busy and active and keen to buy it. So, yeah, it's a good time to get up and have a crack at it. But if you won one of those 10 grand fish, one of those tag fish 10 grand, you'd take him home and put him in a tank, wouldn't you? You couldn't.

You couldn't eat him. He's earned you 10 large, son. It's a bit of a, it's a bit like when Homer Simpson 80's pet lobster, isn't it? I don't know.

Don't watch the Simpsons, mate, but anyway. Have you got on the Yellowstone yet? That's the show. Haven't got onto Yellowstone yet, mate?

No, too busy you're watching fishing movies fair, do you? Yeah, fair enough. You got to get a TV too, Watty, before you start watching TV shows, all right? Yeah, yeah, it does help.

I don't think they have a Yellowstone on at the pub. Usually it's just the footy of the cricket, so that's all I did. fair enough. Anyway, no, all good. All right, mate.

Well, it sounds like a great time of year to be up there and as as you head towards Christmas and obviously we'll keep talking to you and then, and then, I mean, it'll be unbelievable this year because when you go down, are you going back to the family farm this year for Christmas? Not this year, actually, heading to New Zealand for Christmas this year. so that's pretty exciting. I've got one more trip to do next week and then, and then, yeah, it's all done for the year and start getting all the logistics in place for next year and of course sending people overseas and stuff.

But yeah, we're off to New Zealand uh Lioness and myself uh over Christmas, so that's going to be awesome. It would have been our 3rd year crossing to the farm in a row. We'll try and cross to a farm in New Zealand. I'll get you there.

But in the meantime, we'll find out what's happening up there. All right, mate, we'll let you to get back and suck on those cans under the veranda. I can sense a bit of rain hitting your way, okay? Yeah, I reckon it's probably about that time of day.

better get ready. And what we'll do next week, mate. We'll tell people because we've told people about Barefoot Fishing Safaris here for, she's 3 years now, so we might just start to tell them about some of the other things you do. We'll do that next week.

Yeah, that's right. Yep, that'll be good. All right, mate. Good stuff, Watty.

talk to you then. And like I said, well, you do a lot more than just Barefoot Fishing Safaris these days and we want to tell people all about that and get them up to speed so they can get involved with what you do. You do it well. The best in the business up there, mate.

So, mate, we'll catch up next week and we'll do that. Good on you, Doc. Yeah, I look forward to it. Good on you, girl, enjoy that can, mate. And I'm sure you will enjoy more than just one.

There he is, Glenn, what do you want? Barefoot Fishing Safaris, but as you say, there's a lot more to Barefoot Fishing Safaris these days than what it was when Watty started joining us 3 years ago. Can you believe we've been putting up with him for 3 years? Incredible.

Anyway, go to the website, bearfootfishingsafaris.com.au. I'm sure you'll have links to other things he does, but we'll get the full details off him now. Check out the Facebook page as well. But as I say, he's yeah, man, up there in the Top End.

He knows he's got his finger on the pulse with everything that happens, not just fishing, but the weather.