Bag a Barra — 8 August 2025

It's time now to head to the Top End and Bagabara, with Glenn Watty Watt, thanks to Barefoot Fishing Safaris and Uniden. For the best in UHF communications, explore the extract series at Uniden.com.au. Well, our man, in the Top End, when it comes to fishing and everything. Northern territory is Glen Watty Watt, from Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Be sure to check him out there, or, of course, Angling Adventures, and he will help you in the right direction.

Steer you or you'll steer you in the wrong direction, really, but if you want to catch fish, you'll help you out. Had a bit of rain up there the other day, Watty. whats going on? Climate change.

Oh, mate, it's a bit funny this weather. It seems to be following the pattern that we're getting all over Australia at the moment. bit sort of unpredictable. Yeah, we had um, we had a few.

Actually, that was half the reason I couldn't talk to you last week too. I, um, yeah, it was raining, I was out fishing and had dramas, and then, yeah, did, we got like 5 meals of rain here at, um, at Bees Creek at my joint the other day, so, very unusual. I, I can't remember it ever like um, raining like that in, well, it was the 1st of August, I think it was, and um, yeah, it, it sort of made me think, oh, look out, the season's changing early, but now we're back to these um, really cool overnights and um, and sort of bright sunny days again. So who knows what's around the corner.

Imagine the great name edge from Melbourne. They would have been going, 0 my God. We just, we, we, we came up here to get away from this. That's right, yeah, because it did steam up pretty good for the next day or 2 after that as well.

So, yeah, they would have been feeling a bit ripped off, I reckon. Believable, mate. Anyway, but what you think is cool is not what we think is cool. What do you call cool overnight?

Well, I mean, we've been having, it was 14 at our place yesterday morning. That's pretty cool. That is cool. Yeah, that is cool.

That is cool. getting down there. Yeah. So, you know, we, I mean, I've been in tracking Dacks until lunchtime. So, yeah, but I mean, that's a, that's sort of the way it goes. Like, I think that at the moment where, but just below average of nights under 20 degrees is how they sort of measure a good, dry season and a really good one's 50 nights under, under 20.

And yeah, I don't think we'll get there because August does start to warm up a little bit, but we, you know, we've had a pretty good run at it this year. So it has been nice. Yeah, absolutely. Now, has the fishing up there, mate?

What's doing? Well, I actually spoke to a couple of fellows who were doing some half day and one day, stuff around the place for the tourists at the moment, and yeah, they both, they both said that it's fishing really good, apart from on those real cold mornings, so, I mean, your favourite spot, robbery, billabong, absolute glamour destination for this time of year, and uh, there sounds like there's plenty of fishing there again this year too. I haven't had much of a crack at it this year myself, but um, yeah, sounds like it's going quite well, and of course, we, I fished in Bynoe Harbour there last week or whenever that was, and yeah, we had a couple of really good days. So, um, if you get the conditions right, and of course, there's a fair bit of knowledge attached to having good days as well, but, yeah, there, there's um, there's plenty of good fishing on offer, as long as you um, do earth and right, I suppose.

Yeah, I've been seeing plenty of social posts out there at Dundee Beach at the tavern there. So obviously a lot of people out there this time of year, that'd be, that'd be one of the hotspots, wouldn't it? Yeah, absolutely. It's been cranking.

And of course, we just had our, um, Darwin Cup, long weekend, so it would have been going right off out there, and I know there's a few of the boys out there who had, um, chasing Barrow around in the river and and down the coast who, who've actually been getting perhaps more bigger fish this year than they have in the past. Um, you know, since that sort of pretty handy wet season and then, um, you know, the advancement of their skills using a new technology as well. So, you can target Big Barra. So right throughout the year, a bit easier these days, which is pretty handy for people that want to do that.

How many public holidays do you get up there? Long weekends. I don't know, mate. I mean, I was only, it was, it was territory day not long ago when we were there.

We sort of just missed it as we come through. I mean, it's 2 in a row, 2 consecutive weekends, but yeah, of course, I work for myself, so I sort of don't get the benefit of it too much, but I did hear all everyone else whinging that this was the last one until Christmas or something. So, yeah, they jam them all in at the start of the year around here. So I guess you can take advantage of the weather and some runoff barrel fishing and stuff and then we just grind it out.

People are whingeing. It's the last one. Look, at the end of the day, well, the Christmas, what is it now? in August. So it'll be another, what, another couple of weeks before the Christmas parties will start anyway.

Well, yeah, that's right. We do like to sort of get them going around September, I suppose, just to make sure you can fit them all in. So yeah, that's probably something I should start planning actually. Thanks for reminding me about that.

Great place of territory, isn't it? I mean, yeah, good. The Christmas party started September. I mean, it got to be. Anyway, what about yourself, mate?

You got any of those big trips for angling adventures coming up? Because I know you were full on over there. Is that always bubbling along? Oh, yeah, it's more than bubbling along right now.

So June, July, August is absolute peak time for New Guinea trips. So that's why I'm spending more time in the office. At the moment. So we've got groups at Lake Murray, for the big uh black bass, and of course, the Bendsback River, sort of the, that big barrow destination, well, definitely the best barrow fishing in the world.

Um so that's going um flat out. We've got groups going in and out of there on charter planes and stuff every every week. So that's happening, and then we've got some other big bookings off to some of the remote lodges up here in the territory, and I think the next big international one is Tanzania trip, which might even head off in in September. My brother, D man's hosting that one of half a dozen guys over to catch tiger fish in Tanzania, mate.

So, that's a pretty good looking trip. They, you know, got all sorts of wildlife and critters over there that sort of wrap around the fishing as well. Yeah, well mate, that's the thing, isn't it? I mean, this is what you do, and I mean, it's great stuff.

The majority of your customers, are they all from Australia or do you get people from overseas booked through you and then leave from there or is it just all Aussies? Yeah, no, we're getting a decent amount now of international Fishos coming through as well, just sort of scattered throughout. Of course, there's similar businesses to angling adventures, um, particularly in the States. So, most of the US guys go through them, but, of course, we've got special relationships with a few of the lodges and and they sort of need to come through us, as well as our specialised knowledge as well.

I mean, the major part of the business is that we, we would never send anyone somewhere that we haven't been ourselves and know exactly what happens day to day. So, um, we can really prepare people for the best experience on what can be a pretty intimidating things. I mean, can you imagine where you'd start to set up a trip going to Tanzania, mate? Like it's, yeah, it's pretty daunting.

So that's where we're coming. Well, that's why we told people to get onto you. Angling adventures, or of course, Barefoot Fishing Safaris in the Top End there in the territory, and you are the man winning. And there's the knowledge.

that's the knowledge that you're getting. That's the best part about it. All very, very good, mate. All right, mate.

Well, listen, we'll leave you there to do it is, whatever it is you are doing today, which I'm tipping wouldn't be very much, but we'll have a chat to you next, have a chat to you next week, eh? That's right, mate. I was just making sure all these old fellas heading to Ben's back. Remember their passports when they get to Cairns, because if they don't, by then it's too late.

I watched the charter plane fly off without them. You don't want that anyway. All right, I'll leave you to start organising your September Christmas parties. We chat to you next week.

All righty, mate. send the invite. I look forward to seeing it coming in the mail. Not.

See you. There he is. That's our man. What are you up in the Top End?

Barefoot Fishing Safaris, and of course, angling adventures. Go and check him out there. The best in the business when it comes to fishing, no matter whether it's in Australia or overseas.