Bag a Barra — 27 December 2024

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 shimanofish.com.au.

Well, for the last time in 2024, we're going to head to the Top End and talk to our man, Watty, and he has, this is his favourite time of the year. Forget the fishing. He loves a party, Watty. He started celebrating Christmas back in around September, I think.

And then he, you know, he, by the time he got to the end of October, he'd already been to about 11 Christmas parties, he loves this time of year, the Christmas New Year period. He's on the line. What are you g'day? Oh, g'day, Doc.

Yep. You dead set, right? still going on up here too, mate. I've got no doubt.

I got no doubt about that. mate, you've had a big year. And I mean, some highlights for you, mate. 2024.

I mean, apart the, I mean, one of the highlights, obviously, was us up there filming for Oz Afraid TV, which will be out soon and you'll be, you know, where you appeared on that, but apart from that, I mean, you've done some great fishing trips overseas. You've been to some exotic places. It's been a big year for Barefoot and angling adventures, hasn't it? Yeah, it's definitely been my biggest year for angling adventures.

Uh, I spent around 2 months overseas this year and um, you know, I, um, got to spend a lot of time with some really great people in New Guinea and Costa Rica, went to Cokus Keeling Islands as well, and of course, we had a spectacular runoff fishing season here in Darwin early in the year, and then, uh, you know, the builder fishing where you get those beautiful glass outs and site casting on the flats, so it's been a bloody great year. Actually, I'm looking forward to having next year mostly at home, not going overseas next year, so that'll be good to be able to focus on a bit of the local stuff, but yeah, it was, it was really worthwhile putting the extra effort in this year. It set everything up nicely for next year.

Yep that sounds fantastic. And look, I, I, I just think what you do, you're more than just a fishing guide. I know we have a bit of a jagu muck around and I, you know, I still think you should be the chief minister up there, to be honest. And but at the end of the day, you're more than just a fishing guide these days, I mean, you're very respectful for the environment, you've got a fuller understanding on how the whole thing works, that, you know, the nature cycle and what one season means for the next year across it, what not only what that does for the fishing, you know, behaviour and how fish behave in general, but how it all works with the, you know, the plant life, the whole lot of it.

You're very passionate about it. And I guess that comes out when, you know, you're taking people away and they're actually benefitting from your experience and your knowledge and they're not only catching fish, but they're having a pretty good time and getting a bit of an education as well. Yeah, that's right, mate. I do place a fair bit of focus and a lot of value on sort of giving back a little bit. Now, I'll go into my 15th year of guiding here in the territory, uh, in a couple of days' time, and uh, to be able to actually give back a bit of knowledge and some experience and build some relationships, especially making the lives better for people in, um, less privileged positions than us, like the guys that we work with in New Guinea, you know, to build relationships with them, bring a heap of tourists over, inject a bit of money into their little local economies

Is It actually makes a big difference in their lives. So, we think it's just about a fishing trip, but as a, it has a much greater ripple effect, you know, down the road than, than just um, few photos of big fish and happy punters. So yeah, it's a, it really encompasses everything that I'm about, what we're doing uh these days.

So, I'm really keen to keep going and push further and further with it as we go. Yeah, exactly. and you're good at it, mate. And I think it's the passion it just comes through now.

You've at this time of year in the Top End, New Year's. What are you doing? New Year's Eve. What's the what's the game?

I mean, seriously? What place can we expect you to be kicked out of at 5 o'clock in the morning? Well, I think I'm going to go the other way, mate. We're planning on being a long way away down past Catherine there on a cattle station, out of harm's way.

I think that's where Louise has learnt best to keep me on that out of. Yeah, well, mate, guys, I get out of my mate, Tom Kurt. He should be back down there. back there, by the way.

Yeah, he's got a big tour, Tommy. I did hear a little whisper that you were thinking about going to the Teamworth Country Music Festival. Is that still on the cards or? Very keen, yeah. See if we can get it organised, although we are really enjoying just sitting here doing a bit of garden and watching the grass, bro.

Watch everything happen up here, but I've never been, and it's, Loness's 40th this year coming up. So, yeah, we thought it might be a good chance to get down and have a look at something special like that. Well, I might be able to organise you a bit of a, a bit of a swapsy deal and don't get excited. But I reckon I could get you to an Adam Harvey concert.

At Tamworth, and then at some point you take him fishing. Well, I reckon. It'd be a contra deal. We probably have to think about it, mate. You know, make sure it works, but yeah, I'd probably be up for a bit of goes to Adam Harvey's one of the greatest artists, isn't he?

He's a classic, and I know he's a keen fisherman. He loves it and I know that he would love to go fishing with you in the Top End because Adam and I have spoken about it. So I reckon we could do a bit of a deal. We could, you know, swap you could swap roles.

Actually, you know what? You can actually, we'll get him to run your, he could run your fishing, a fishing charter and you can go and sing at a concert. Yeah, why don't we do that? We could have a little floppy.

Yeah, just make sure that's what I'm saying. And let me say to you, I'll just make sure that then gets the money up front for the punters, they're going to walk out in disgrace, disgust when you're up on stage singing. No, no, no, well, if you are going to go, as you know, now, I'm the host of the country music countdown, mate, I can make a few phone calls for you and maybe get you a spot up there at Tamworth, mate, if you do go there. Mate, Catherine will be big. I mean, look at the, I mean, well, the Catherine's a good spot, and I mentioned Tom Curtain, anyone goes there, you've got to go to the outback experience, and Catherine.

It just an amazing place. a great job, Tommy Curtain, a top bloke as well. But mate, yeah, so New Year's will be, uh, so the lioness has got you uh, under wraps, no yahooing in the Top End. You've been Catherine just doing your best there and leaving a lean impression there.

Yeah, well, I think uh, where we're planned on heading is um, is a probably 45 minute drive out of Catherine. So, yeah, we're even a bit more isolated and we can yell on Yahoo and play up as much as we like out there. So, that'll be good. Go and see the river's popped up nicely in Catherine. So that, of course, is part of the headwaters of the Daly, which is, um, you know, it has, as a peak of my attention at this time of year, the river height.

So, yeah, it's all, it's all part of the job, mate, is um keeping an eye on what the water's doing. Yeah, and it's certainly moving about at the moment, mate. How, just quickly, mate, how has it been up there? Is big rains, what's doing? Oh, actually, it's been very mild, mate.

Like, the olds got up here a few days ago, thinking they were going to melt and it's, uh, it's actually been overcast and a bit of drizzle last few days, and, um, you know, I've been pretty mild, actually. So, yeah, if it takes long like this, that's, that's all we need, and that monsoonal, um, locked its way over is pretty shortly, and then she's all on like Donkey Kong after that. Yeah, no, fair enough. All right, mate.

Well, listen, thanks for, thank you for being a part of the show for 2024, mate. Again. You've been with this particular radio show since we started it and another year ticked off, mate. So well done.

We look forward to you being a part of what we do in 2025 as well, mate. Thank you, mate. We appreciate you giving us a bit of a voice from the Top End here and spreading the good word. Oh, mate, we love it.

You make us want to be up there, that's for sure. And I'm sure, mate, anyone who goes fishing up there now would have to be getting onto you. if they want to get out there and catch them anyway. So, mate.

No, it's great, and it's good for us to have someone like you up there in the Top End, mate. So thanks again for this year and we'll do it all again next year, mate. Happy New Year, mate, and we'll talk to you next year. Yeah, bloody oath.

Good on you, Doc. Ill talk to you again. Which will be next week, by the way. See you, Watty.

Yeah, right. We'll see how we go. be dusty. I know, see you.

Oh, there he is. That's the way I mean. Barefoot Fishing Safaris and angling adventures.