Bag a Barra — 6 January 2023

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 shamanofish.com.au.

And, of course, last week when we spoke to our man, Watty. He was in New Zealand. I'm tipping he's back up in the Top End, now up in the northern territory. Watty, g'day.

Yeah, that's right, Duck, air going. Yeah, I'm back in Darwin now and sort of looking out the window watching it rain here too. Well, I've got to say to you, mate, you would have found a big difference in weather, coming from New Zealand, across the ditch, to the Top End. I mean, what was that like getting off the plane?

Yeah, that's right. I mean, we did have some really nice weather over there, but it probably topped out at 25 degrees, I suppose. Yeah, we got off the plane at midnight here, um, whenever that was and, uh, yeah, it was um, it was about 27 degrees and hammer and main, so, and it hardly stopped since, which has been great. All the rivers are up and flooded and we're looking good.

Yeah, and all that water's already making its way south. I've seen some big water levels on the Fitzroy in WA and there's really a lot of water about in that part of the world too. So the humidity would have just hit you like a ton of bricks, wouldn't it? Oh, yeah, I mean, we look forward to it after having, you know, dry skin and cracked lips for the last fortnight.

It's good to get back to a bit of humidity when you're used to it. Try skin and crack lips, though. Warm weather. Fair enough. Mate, just quickly before we talk about angling adventures, um, any big winners for the, I know we ask every time, any big winners in the $1000000 fish comp up there?

No, one in recently, actually, no one since New Year's for sure. They've, there's still plenty of people out fishing, but it has been, it has been seriously wet, so, um, those fish do, they will flush out, sort of out of the main systems and up into bloodplains and stuff now and get a bit sparse and a bit hard to connect with rather than sitting at the crossing where they had been for the last few months. Um, say down the Daly or something like that. The rivers, as we speak, I think it's about 10 metres over the crossing now, so a lot of those fish have moved on and they're going for a look around for a while, so no one recently.

We can actually use it. The rain in the back, man, is it? Yeah, that's there's plenty of rain around. Yeah, it's actually raining right now.

Yeah, actually at the end of today too, doing a bit of work and helping. Yeah, yeah, actually. Yeah, well you can hear it. And it's just pouring rain although. What happens in Darwin?

People just, I mean, I think the people that live up the locals, they love it, don't they? So they don't care about getting wet and cools them off. Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's a different country up here, then it's down south.

I suppose it's really used to huge amounts of rain. You know, we've had it over 500 mils in Christmas type thing and um, it's, uh, it, it gets away. It dries out pretty quickly and then you'll get a couple of hours of sunshine and everyone's out mailing their lawn and whatever and getting a couple of jobs done and then you just go back inside and do your inside jobs, a lot of boat maintenance goes on this time of year and of course plan fishing trips, which is exactly what I'm doing right now. I'm actually planning uh my course to help people plan their own fish and trip, which is um, which is really fun to do as well.

So once March comes around, we're all sort of hit the ground running for this proper runoff fishing for the next 4 months, which is setting up really nicely with all the weather. Yep, happy days. That sounds fantastic, mate. and like you say.

It's a good time to be planning and doing those things, fixing boats, and also making sure the fridge is serviced, so I'm tipping it'd be your priority up there. Keep those beers nice and cold. Angling adventures now for the last few years we've, you know, we've always spoke about Barefoot Fishing Safaris and people can come up and go fishing with you and all of that. but angling adventures.

That's also you and it's a booking service where you can send people on some, you know, really good fishing trips. Tell us a bit, tell us a bit about that. Yeah, that's right. We're busily working away at all our trips.

Uh, they're scheduled for this year with angling adventures as well, and we do, we, uh, we facilitate trips right across the Top End up here to do some really good barrow fishing and that sort of stuff. Um, but, but also our major focus is, is the overseas stuff. So, we've got a couple of big lodges that we work within uh, Puppa New Guinea, one in Alaska, and I was just turning to a client yesterday who we're sending over to Cameroun, uh, in Africa as well. So, uh, we've got the fingers in pies all over the world, I suppose, in the fishing scene, and, um, and yeah, really excited. actually heading over to New Guinea myself again in February to do a bit more recon and training up some guides and stuff over there for a big season ahead.

their 1st real tourist season um since they're coming out of COVID. So, they're excited. We're excited and and the um the diary is reflecting how excited everyone else is to get out on these fishing trips as well. It's very busy. So is there a market for this? So you've got people who contact angling adventures, and they can look at a list of destinations, and you put together the fishing trip for them, including accommodation, and all of that, all of the things that they'll need, and off they go.

So is that busy? Is there a lot of people who want to, you know, they're that keener anglers out there that are prepared to go on a fishing trip with the boys and, I mean, you know, or the girls and head overseas just to come and catch fish? Uh, yeah, you, you, you know, if you're not in the industry, you'd be surprised, actually. We've got clients that do half a dozen trips a year, um, through the booking agency and, um, you know, people spending upwards of a 100 grand a year doing it, since they're getting pretty obsessed, but, you know, a lot of guys that, well, most of the guys, they might do 11 big trip a year, and Papa New Guineas are a really good example where, uh, you know, for, for the average traveller, myself included.

I'd be a bit nervous to head over there, just line in and go and do some touristing, but the service that angling adventures, um, has always provided it, and we the new owners are sort of enhancing it even more, uh, you know, we've developed. There's pretty amazing itineraries and really safe travel options for people to go overseas anywhere really and experience really safe, enjoyable, sort of adventure fishing. Um you know, with their mates, you know, every year. So, we'll, we'll book the flights from, say for, up in New Guinea, usually we're exiting out of Brisbane or Cairns, um, all you've got to do is get yourself there, and then everything else is booked after, you've got your, all your flights, meals, and accommodations booked for, for your sort of 8 days of your, of your fishing trips.

So, it's a real, it's a real easy way to do it and it's actually the only way to do it. Um to these couple of particular lodges where the exclusive Australian booking agents. So, it's really good to be able to, you know, share, I guess, all our travel experience that we, um, has been built up over the years through the company, and make it really easy for people to travel and have a safe and fun trip. Yeah, sounds fantastic, mate.

So anglingadventures.com.au. the website. They go onto there and check it out and you can book your trip overseas. Where you go.

Yes, as easy as that, really. You just got to give us a call and we'll find you some dates and off we go. Yeah, we've got travel agency. We work with to book all the flights and travel insurances and all that and stuff, so it's you're my brainer.

I've got to give it to you, what are you becoming a guru, mate, and this fishing caper? So worry, isn't it, when someone like me can get into that category? Oh, my mate, please. I mean, I think it's fantastic.

All right. And then obviously you've got this course running at the moment, which is you're putting together the courses and people can jump on and learn more about that. What's the website for that? Yeah, that's the Barefoot Fishing Academy.

You can register your interest to be part of the next course. I'm going to do a 4 day boot camp in a couple of weeks' time to help people plan out there next 4 months of runoff fishing up here. Um so it, it, it's just a couple of hours a day for, over a weekend where, you know, you walk away from the end of that um little mini course. I suppose, um, with a full plan for your 4 months of runoff, they're efficient, and and then that way you don't sort of, you know, jump in the car, and um, it's hit and hope, uh, random spots and random techniques and stuff like that, the real structure techniques that we've got to plan in fish and trips, exactly the same method that I've been using for the last dozen years for my business, so it does seem to work pretty well.

All right. Oh, absolutely. Well, I know that. Yeah, absolutely.

All right, well, you're full on. I mean, you got it all happening. You got Barefoot Fishing Safaris, you got the academy and which is just, this is the word Wadi and Academy, together in the one sort of sentence or paragraph. Not the moron, isn't it? It just blows my mind, to be honest.

But anyway. But you're doing it when well done to you. And of course, angling adventures. All right, mate.

Well, not a lot doing fishing at the moment with all the rain up there and the fish going hiding and all that stuff. But there's always something doing up there when it comes to fishing. the fishing capital of the country. And, mate, we'll get the latest on what's happening up there off you next week, eh? Yeah, absolutely, mate.

Yeah, it's all about planning and sitting here, sort of anticipating what, what's going to be probably the best runoff we've had in, in, well, 10 years, I reckon since 2011 and 12. So, really exciting for anyone who's planned on coming up. Yeah, sounds fantastic and there'd be plenty of people doing it now, thinking how good they're going to be by the time they get up there, that runoff, as you say, will be just full of big Barramundi, all sorts of fish. I think it's going to be fantastic and it'll be a good year, and it's great because they've had a couple of lean years, although last year was good. But, you know, lean years before that in light of COVID, it's good to see things on the mend, especially in the Top End and up there in the northern territory, which, of course, is my favourite part of the country.

I love it up there. But he doesn't. It's fantastic. Watty, we'll let you go.

We talk to you next week, mate. Good on you, mate. Yep. I look forward to it.

Good on you. I know you do, Watty. You love it. You ring me, mate.

Remind me, don't forget to get me on this week. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Be part of me, mate. Big part of your week.

I know. See you, Watty. There he is. Glenn, what do you want?

Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Check out the website. Barefoot Fishing Safaris.com.au. If you want to do one of those big fishing trips with a bunch of mates and why not jump onto that anglingadventures.com.au.

How good does that sound? All the hard work's done for you. All you do is get yourself to the airport and what he looks after the rest. I think it's a fantastic initiative.

It's been around that he's actually making a lot better, and I think, anyway, and I know who's the people that love those sorts of things, and, and, you can get away, you can get away, and um, and, and go and do that. which I think is fantastic. Get out there and get it overseas and go fishing with what are you the best in the business.