Bag a Barra — 8 March 2024

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 shamanofish.com.au.

And, of course, Watty is being bumped up the order this week is the man behind Barefoot Fishing Safaris and angling adventures up there in the Top End. And I've got to say to you, he'd be pretty happy at the moment, knifing Vic Woodman to get up the top of the order. Watty, g'day. That's right, Duck.

Yeah, I've been fighting for this spot for a while back where I belong. Yes, exactly. Exactly. We might change up a bit now, you know, and last year. So, Vic, it's not a good time to, you know, take off.

I mean, what he's done. He's down there training at his training centre, very important clients and he usually stops what he's doing for us, but it's obviously a very important client this week because he's not been able to do it. So I said, oh, well, we'll just bump you down the order a bit. You'll be right.

And I think there'll be a lost sigh of relief around the country too, but we're going, oh, thank God, that long winded windbags off for a while. He might not get as much time. You get a lot of time at the start of the show. But anyway, all good.

Mate, what's happening up there in your part of the world? They're talking. will the wet season ever end or what's doing in Darwin on the Top End? mate, it seems like it's never going to end.

It's hammering rain here at the moment, and it looks like the monsoon's going to form up again, as I get on the water for my next trip, which is um probably not ideal, but it's obviously part of the way we go up here, but yeah, just, it continues to rain, which is unreal. actually chatting with a mate of mine down in King Island the other day who's usually got knee high green grass this time of year and he sent me a photo of how dry and barren it was down there and it's um, yeah, it's the opposite up here. Of course, it's bloody, we got shoulder high green grass up here, so it's all going pretty good. Mate, for people that don't know, including me, where's King Island?

Oh, King Island in between Victoria and Tasmania. So, yeah, yeah, it's only a small island, maybe, oh, 30 or 40 K's long and 20 wide or so. So they named it after you. Oh, they might have named it after King Ricky, my mate who lived down there. I think he owned half the island.

King Rich. Yeah, yeah. It's actually a really interesting place. You want to have a look at it because they've they've got pheasants in the wild there.

Turkeys, like domestic turkeys that have sort of gone wild and they run around in the bush. And, yeah, of course, amazing seafood and dairy and beef and that sort of stuff. It's great farming area. A couple of really good golf courses and they've got a footy league there.

There's 4 or 5 teams in the footy league. Mate, I'm going to look. going to be honest with you. Now, look, I never pretend to know everywhere.

You know, I mean, I'm not that bright, and I know me way around, and I've been a lot of players, but I've got to be honest with you, and people are, mate, people can be looking at me going, oh, duck, you're kidding. What do you live under a rock, but I've never heard of it. Yeah, well, it's only pretty small, and probably the only way you'd ever come across it is if you sort of knew someone who lived there or whatever, and Richie's family, the Suttons, they've had the farm down there for a long, long time, and when we went to boarding school together in Western Victoria there. We used to fly down there.

Gary had a pilot's license and his old man and he'd fly us down there, he'd leave from Warrnambool, fly down and he'd have to chase all the swans off the bloody runway in the paddock, do a couple of laps around the paddock. all the swans are off and then, yeah, we went down there for Easter a couple of times and I've been diving down there a couple of times and stuff. It's a beautiful, beautiful spot. Great, great place to go for a few days holiday.

You can fly there like there's commercial airlines that fly there every day. Yeah, mate, I'm looking at it now. You can fly 15 hours. It's 15 hours from Sydney.

That can't be right. That'd be including a stopover in Melbourne. Oh, right. Yeah, OK. I mean, well, see this, when it comes to flying, I got no idea because I love to get in the car and drive.

So, look at that going, 15 hours. What are we flying in? Yeah, no, they could actually drive their boats across from Warrnambool to King Island. He's got a decent boat.

You can drive it across there, do the bigger guys and they take, go over and dive for craze and stuff over there, yeah. I've got to be honest with you. mate, well, you know what? This is going to surprise you. And while I'm sitting here talking to you because we're in the Blue Collarville studio this week, which in other words, I'm at home, and I've got a student, I've got, we've got a,

Well we've got we built offices and studio out the back and and then off to the side of that, there's a shed and I'm looking at my jet ski right now out the window, right? And I've been asked to go on this and I'm actually talking to someone from rotary this week. There's a jet ski safari on at the moment from Kingscliff in New South Wales to Gladstone in Queensland, 700 kilometres. But next year, yeah, there's a 100 jet skis.

But next year, and they're raising money for sick kids and stuff. It's a really great variety. They do the bash and all that stuff. They do some great work anyway.

So we'll get them on of a chat about this because they are raging money and it's a great thing to be involved in. We'll next year. So basically almost 12 months from today. They're doing a run from to Tasmania.

And they've asked me to, they've asked me to go in it. Bloody hell. I'll tell you now, I'd have to be in the gym as of a week ago, every day. I could just imagine my knee, knees would be gone back.

imagine riding across. Oh, mate, that's a fair ride. And I wonder if I want to play at King Island or Linda's Island as well. Oh, I reckon they probably do. I reckon they probably...

They probably do stop at King. looking at it now. What a great spot. Yeah, yeah, it's a cracker.

absolutely. I'm looking at it now, and there it is. You are right, right between Melbourne and Tassie. So there you go.

And King Island. I've gotta be honest with you. I'd never heard of it, mate. And that just goes to show that I do live under a rock, probably, and I don't know much at all.

I'm never, I've never said I'm that smart, have I? Well, not on air, I think, yeah. Oh, come on. What are you talking about?

I wrap myself off, eh? No, like I say, I'd be surprised if many people knew about it because at tiny, there's not a hell of a lot of people that live there. I actually went to Richie Sutton, he had his he had his wedding down there. That was a bloody good team a few years after we finished boarding school.

The boys got back together down there, carry on down on the island for a bit. That Friday night show has now changed to Thursday nights. We might get you on and have a chat about this King Island. that's something where we can talk about.

That's a great spot. Well, mate, you know, that other show where you've got to stay sober? Yeah, definitely. To come on. I think a few times you've let yourself go, to be honest, but anyway. It might be good that it is on a Thursday. Now, listen, we're supposed to be talking about the Top End, not what's happening down near Tasmania.

So tell me what's doing up there. You've said about the big wet. When you go here, does it? I mean, obviously, you know, if the monsoonal range come and continue and you get out there in the boat, I mean, you ever had to cancel trips or you just go out and put up with it with the customers, how do they handle it?

Yeah, no, we don't cancel because of rain, it's only ever if it's a safety issue and that's only ever come about if there's a cyclone sort of bobbing around. We've had to do that a couple of times over the years, but no, rain's fine. It can sort of upset the fish in a little bit, so it can drop the water temperature or bring into dirty water or whatever. So, we have to plan around it.

But it actually, it's pretty comfortable, you know, like it's probably 27 degrees here at the moment or 26 and it's just pit a pad of rain and it's actually pretty comfortable to fish in. Uh, and you just, I have the big bimney, like this, this next trip is only one person, so we'll have the big bimney up, that covers most blocks of the half the boat, and then we can hop in and out of the shelter if we want to have a bit of a break out of it. And of course, you can take change the clothes and stuff, but, you know, you're just as happy to sort of be a bit wet and cool up here, at this storm of year. Yeah, that's right, it'll be fine.

It's not as if you, you know, fishing off the bottom of Victoria in the middle of winter when it rains, or if it rains. I mean, you can cop it because it is warm and it's exactly right. So, mate, how are they biting? And have you got any news on what's doing?

Is it starting to pick up a bit now or are they starting? Are people heading there early? Definitely plenty of guided fishing happening now, and it's, it is going well. But here and there, tricky conditions as well. When the tides don't line up with what the, how the river's behaving, it can, uh, throw a bit of a spanner in the works, you've got to change your plans and stuff, and it does, it can take a couple of days to get a feel for the river.

It probably seems a bit strange for people who aren't fish o's, but, you know, the 1st day of us jumping on the water after not being out there for a year, for me is pretty much just trying to figure out exactly when that, the, the tide changes that day. uh how much fresh is sort of floating around in the various different uh sections of the river and where, where we might find a bit of bait and, and then we sort of go from there. So 1st day we generally jump around a bit and and move around, have a look at the conditions in various spots and then, and then really refine that plan from there. Once you get, get a feel for how the river's behaving, and, and the weather, so, how it interacts with it, then, then you can sort of really go from there, and you can get as technical as you want, but, you know, like, of course, people go fishing when they can, and, um, it can be a bit tricky in that regard if you're only going fishing for a day every fortnight or something like that. to sort of feel like you know what's going on.

Um, but yeah, being a guide, you've got the benefit of once the season gets going, you're there every day and that, and that's probably why guides catch more fish is, is because they know how the river's behaving and, and they know more importantly than perhaps where the fish are, is where the fish aren't. So you're not wasting your time there. Yeah. Well, that's why, yeah, well, mate, exactly right.

I mean, I, I, I think you've got, Well, obviously our preference is if you're going to go up there and go fishing, go with you, because you're our man, but I mean, if you are going travelling up from, you know, the southern part of the country, you want to go with a guide. I mean, it's a long way to go, especially if you're going up there fishing, you know, go with a guide, at least a couple of times, or once to get an idea of the spots. It's a long way to go to catch nothing.

And look, for people that aren't even big fishos like, hello, you know one of them, being me, although I'm sitting here in the office looking at 3 fishing rods leaning up against the wall, but I've got no idea what to do with those, to be honest, but they're here. But it's good to catch that Barramundi in this to get out and enjoy the experience too, which that's what I found. Yeah, that's right. And it's a good point that you make, and it is something that can be a bit sensitive for some guides too, is if you, you know, you, you plan on fishing yourself after your guided trip, this makes sure that you're really open about that, because, uh, you know, if it, if, if a guide sort of takes one of these secret squirrel spots a new sort of rock up there the next day in your own boat, uh, uh, you know, while it's, you're sort of not breaking any rules or anything, there's, there's a bit of etiquette.

involved in that. So yeah, we do it all the time. uh with guys that bring their own boats up and then I've got clients now that that don't come fishing with me and they bring their own boats up and and that's all good as long as you're sort of uh you're on the same page because as as a Rec Fisher coming to the territory and and and wanting to do that, you're not necessarily looking to go to those secret squirrel spots anyway. All you really should be looking for is, is just that getting some consistency and understanding how the river's behaving and then you can, then you can go searching from there.

So it's more about chatting with your guide about the tides and and where you might go if you like the troll compared to casting or shallow water deep water sheltered or out in the ocean and that sort of stuff. So, it just needs to be a really open conversation. I guess if you're not a local, you're not there for long. So it's not as if you're going to be going back there and then taking other people and charging them. I do understand what you're saying now.

It is. It is. I mean, I would. I'd say, look, mate, can you, look, we've got a boat here, but we're not real sure. It was all right if we come out with you a couple of times and give us a bit of a rundown.

for a few weeks and then we're off. And I think, and that's what, that's what I would do. You know, I'd say, look, mate, we got no idea where we're going, but if we came out with you a couple of times, Are you okay with that?

we're in another 3 weeks, we're going to be back at work. Exactly. Yeah. And then, well, you'll find that's going to be with the majority of people anyway, apart from the great Nomads who got there for 3 months or the people that are travelling full time. And that'll be us, you know, in a few months, we'll be up there, what?

But you can't wait for that. Well, yeah, I mean, it wouldn't be a bad yarn if we ended up jagging that $1000000 fish when you were up here. Oh, imagine that. That could happen, you know.

That could happen. That's getting pretty real this year. They activated another, I think, 30 odd. I think there's something like 40 something barren now that if you catch them, it's a 1000000 dollars.

1st one wins. and they've started giving away the exact locations of where those individual fish were tagged. I mean, they can move, of course, but yeah, they're actually, they're actively trying to get that prize to go off this year. So you'd almost suspect that the next barrow that's got a red tag in it would probably have a pretty good chance of being that one.

So, it's, it's a good incentive for people, if they are on the fence about coming up for runoff later this year or even sooner, rather than later, if, if you want to get it, get the best chance, I suppose, but yeah, it, it could tick people over the end of the list, and, and it could be uh, a really good story for someone who's come up on a guided tour who's saved up for 5 years to do a few days fishing and wins that 1000000 and then of course, gives a fair chunk of it to their friendly neighbourhood fishing guide. Do they throw any in dams? Yeah. Well, actually, they do. There is some in dance. Are you joking? In Manton Dam.

yeah, yeah. They can't go they can't go far. No, well, they actually can at the moment because it's flowing over the wall, so they could swim out over the wall, into the Manton River, and then they'd end up in the Adelaide River. But still no big deal, you know?

Yeah, fair enough. All right. All right, mate. Well, it sounds like it's all happening up there as well as King Island.

Thanks very much for that information. Yeah, we'll have to get King Richie on Nick and Chat, all about King Island. Sounds good. All right, mate.

good stuff. All right. Well, don't you get back to working on your boat in the rain and good luck, Ape, you catch that $1000000 fish this week. Oh, jeez, it'll be a bloody man, wouldn't it?

Yep. Oh, mate, I'll be straight up there if that happens. Straight up, yeah. Up there for me, Chase.

Game tuner. Up there for me taste, mate. Yeah, yeah, you can get a taste, yeah. Yeah, 0 yeah.

It'd be nothing. I need to ride in the new car and be a long drive for nothing. Walk down the road next to me new house. Of course, but I'll be standing at the front. outside the gate, that is.

Right, eh? Talk to you next week if we can find you. Excellent, mate. Yep, that'd be good.

There he is. That's Watty, and you can find Watty, Barefoot Fishing Safaris or angling adventures, and he's all across it, isn't he? He knows exactly how that water system up there works and that's why he's one of the best in the business and certainly he's got his own secret squirrel spots too. He never really tells us about those here, but he gives you the general idea of it.

So as you can get up there and do it. It might be good. if you want to get up there and you're going up there for fishing. Uh, you know, it'd just be up in front with the guys and I'm sure they'd help you out.

You just say, look, mate, you know, we're prepared to come and pay for a couple of guided tours, but we are here for a couple of weeks and we've got a bait, so we'll probably sneak around. I don't want for a bit of advice and a bit of guidance, you know, and I think they'd find that they're pretty hospitable people up there. I can tell you, geez, I love it there. It's great part of the world.

Certainly a different outlook on life than many other parts of the country, in particular around the big smoke parts too. It certainly is the go up there. Can't wait to get up there a little bit later in the year. When we go up there for Ozoff Road TV and we are doing that as well. Anyway, Barefoot Fishing Safaris, go to the website, go to the Facebook page, or look up Angling Adventures.