ORCA 2018 Annual Convention & Show

[Paul M]

June 20-23, 2018 – ORCA Annual Convention & Show

Reelin’ on the River- Clarion Inn, Harpers Ferry, WV



**** Please note the hotel phone number is 304-535-6302

Reelin’ on the River!
The 2018 ORCA National Convention will be held at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and run from Wednesday evening, June 20, through Saturday afternoon, June 23. All events, except for the fishing tournament, will be held at the host hotel, the Clarion Inn, Harpers Ferry. We have a block of rooms reserved in the main building of the hotel, in which the show and social gatherings will also be held. The reduced ORCA rate for rooms is $110/night. The Clarion’s phone number is (304) 535-6313. Mention you are a member of ORCA to receive the reduced rate.

The fishing tournament will be held on the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, that come to a confluence in Harpers Ferry. The Potomac has a world-renowned smallmouth fishery and offers the rare combination of very fast action and big fish. It also offers excellent fishing for walleye, musky, and catfish.

Besides being an accommodating and affordable venue for the show, Harpers Ferry has lots to see and do for family members and friends. The scenery is beautiful, with mountains that inspired the John Denver song “Take Me Home Country Roads”. The area is a Mecca for outdoor sports: whitewater rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, hiking trails, and zip lining are all within walking distance of the Clarion. The hotel is also next to a portion of a National Park Historic Site (Harpers Ferry, of John Brown fame) and less than two miles from “old town” Harpers Ferry. Washington, D.C., with its plethora of free museums and sites, is an hour away.

We also have a couple of new events shaping up for the 2018 convention including a reel restoration clinic and a “Reel Trading Saloon” night. More about those to come!

To contact David: davidlehmann0307@gmail.com

Click HERE for to find the registration form and updates

[Harry Verdurchi]

Will you have to purchase a Virginia Fishing Permit to fish the tournament and or do they have senior citizen permits for less money and do out of state participants have any options for three day use permits maybe?
Thanks

[kyreels]

West by god Virginia fishing licenses are honored on the Virginia side and Maryland sides of the Potomac and Shenandoah River. WVA non-residence license is $13 plus $3 per day you want to fish. For online purchase, go to https://www.wvfish.com.

If you are already a resident of VA or MD, then you may want to go that route. As long as you stay off the tributaries, there are reciprocal honoring of the 3 states in the confluence.

[Harry Verdurchi]

West by god Virginia fishing licenses are honored on the Virginia side and Maryland sides of the Potomac and Shenandoah River. WVA non-residence license is $13 plus $3 per day you want to fish. For online purchase, go to https://www.wvfish.com.

If you are already a resident of VA or MD, then you may want to go that route. As long as you stay off the tributaries, there are reciprocal honoring of the 3 states in the confluence.

Thank you Sir for your very helpful answer.

I wish the states would get together and put out a U.S. Fishing /Hunting license for say 65 plus year old patrons .
They have similar Lifetime Passes for some State and Federal Parks of course they just trippled or more in price recently but still reasonable for ones that travel and of course the Disabled Military get well deserved Free or discounted rates.

[1badf350]

How does the casting competition work? Are there divisions? Different gear classes? Or is is just whoever chucks the farthest wins?

[Paul M]

It is closest to the target with the given type of equipment. Details for the 2018 contest are still to be determined but in general it will go like this: http://reeltalk.orcaonline.org/viewtopic.php?t=16949. In Branson ORCA organizers added a fly casting round. It is all for fun. Good luck!

[Bill Sonnett]

I was asked a year ago to formalize the rules for the ORCA fishing and casting contests. I submitted the following to the Board. I was told they adopted them. Beyond that, I cannot speak to any changes that have been considered or made. A decision was made later to add fly casting as a category. It does not take too much imagination to figure out what the equipment restrictions would be for that contest--leave the graphite at home --LOL

Casting and fishing tournaments at the ORCA National Meet

Bill Sonnett's original rules have been revised by ORCA and are posted below. The original rules have been removed from this post to prevent confusion. The club owes a great deal of thanks to previous tournament participants and organizers and to Bill for simplifying and organizing the rules.

[kyreels]

These are great guidelines, and I appreciate all the work that went into them. But I do suggest a change.

I agree with the guideline for restricting tackle to 50 years old. That means prior to 1968. As I have discussed with Bill, I would like to see the host agree to allow post-WWII rods and reels made prior to 1960 to be used. This opens up the tournament to younger persons. And it allows fiberglass rods to be used, which are used by tournament casters today. For the non-level line events, perhaps the pre-WWII can be preserved, but for all other events, lets loosen it.

While I appreciate all the pre-WWII tackle, many of our members and prospective members value tackle that we grew up with. It is the "Old Reel" collectors association, not the "Old Reel Collectors" association, and old reels can be 50 years old.

[Bill Sonnett]

Whether it comes to casting equipment or collecting the problem with young guys (like Matt) they think 50 years was a long time ago---LOL
PS 50 years ago I was not looking for anything but cover. 1st Infantry Division Vietnam--seems like just last year.

[Midway Tommy D]

Whether it comes to casting equipment or collecting the problem with young guys (like Matt) they think 50 years was a long time ago---LOL
PS 50 years ago I was not looking for anything but cover. 1st Infantry Division Vietnam--seems like just last year.

Ha! 50 years ago I was graduating High School. Some parts seem like yesterday, the mind, and other parts, the body, seem like two centuries ago.

[Paul M]

A few scenes from the 2017 ORCA Annual Convention casting contest held last summer in Branson, MO.


Contestants and spectators watch the action sheltered from the heat of the blazing sun in the shade of the patio walkway. [The pine trees (downwind) on the right became my hazard in the fly casting round.]


Robin gets great action from an open faced spinning outfit.


The casting distance is much further than you might expect... and you have to get in or very close to the target on every cast if you want to have a top 3 finish.

Come and try your hand at the 2018 convention in Branson. It's a lot of fun! Winners get well-deserved recognition at the banquet and in the Reel News.

[Mike N]

I just booked two rooms for Harper's Ferry. I can't wait.

Mike N

[blf]

I was asked a year ago to formalize the rules for the ORCA fishing and casting contests. I submitted the following to the Board. I was told they adopted them. Beyond that, I cannot speak to any changes that have been considered or made. A decision was made later to add fly casting as a category. It does not take too much imagination to figure out what the equipment restrictions would be for that contest--leave the graphite at home --LOL

BIG QUESTION:
i am 73yrs old competing in tournement's since 1956. am i to understand that fiberglass
rods cannot be used in the plug acc. events(revolving spool) to u guys??? . i have old conlons and silaflext t-3's and t-5's since then. i have old sceptre's given to me by hardy AT THEIR factory in 1961.
actually i have NO RODS that will qualify. HELP """"""

pls tell me i am wrong. i just got knocked out of the competition, i guess. hope the food is good L.O.L.

b.l. farley

[kyreels]

b.l.,

I am updating the rules to include fiberglass rods for the level wind tournament. Any rod made prior to summer of 1968 will be allowed in level wind or spinning except for graphite. Any weight is allowed for all of the contests, however, 5/8 is suggested. The non-level wind contest will continue to follow the pre-1945 rule. Final rules will be published here and in the Reel News.

The real purpose of the casting contest is to have fun and encourage the use of vintage (50 yr old) tackle. We encourage the use of Spinning, Level Wind, and Non-Level Wind reels that are at least 50 years old.

[blf]

no problem on the reel's.iprobably have a dozen of targets,1740' meeks and and at least an even dozen
shakspeare 1973's and 1973 d's. several engraves dates in the early 60'

i just CAN NOT USE a bamboo. (wont survive with my cast. low.t) steel never saw a tournement caster with a steel. wouldnt know where to look. wood ?? way before my time.

pls help i really want to come since i am retired form the contractor work.

cheers

b.l. farley

[kyreels]

Here are the final rules for the 2018 Casting Tournament. Note that the final consensus was that you must have a pre-1945 rod for the non-levelwind event, so to win the overall championship, you must use that rod, but anyone can participate in the other events that do not require pre-1945 rods.

ORCA National Meet Casting Tournament Rules and Guidelines
The purpose of the casting tournament is to encourage members to use vintage fishing tackle at least 50 years old, and to have fun. Participation by anyone at any skill level is encouraged.

Events

• 1. Non-level wind accuracy bait casting. Rods must be wood, bamboo or steel and no longer than 6.5 ft in length. Rods and Reels must have been introduced before 1945 and be non-level winding. Line must be braided. Casting plugs must weigh ⅝ oz or less.
  2. Level winding accuracy bait casting. Rods must be wood, bamboo, steel or fiberglass and no longer than 6.5 ft in length. Rods and Reels must have been introduced more than 50 years ago and be level winding. Line may be braided or monofilament. Casting plugs must weigh ⅝ oz or less.
  3. Spinning accuracy casting. Rods must be bamboo, steel or fiberglass and no longer than seven feet. Reels can be open or closed face spinning feels introduced more than 50 years ago. Line must be monofilament and plugs must weigh 3/8 oz or less.

Rules for all Events

• 1. Participants must be ORCA members.
  2. Participants may enter any one event or all events. All three events must be entered to compete for the all-around championship. Should an exhibition event take place such as fly or distance casting, participation is totally optional and does not count towards the all-around.
  3. Three target rings will be placed as close as the facilities allow to 40ft, 60ft and 80ft from the designated casting box.
  4. The Score Keeper is in charge of the event and will call each participant in order for each event. The caster will step into the marked box and inform the Judges if he intends to take his one optional practice cast at each target before actual scoring begins.
  Should the caster step out of the casting box before the cast is completed, his score for that cast will be zero.
  5. Each caster will take two casts at each target. The cast may not be retrieved nor the plug moved until the score for that cast has been announced. The Judge will record each announced score for the participant and will provide that score to the Score Keeper.

Scoring

• 1. A perfect score of 10 is given when the plug falls within the target circle with one point deducted for each foot an or portion of a foot the cast falls outside the circle. Lines broken during a cast are scored zero.
  2. The winner of each event will be the contestant with the highest score out of a possible 60.
  3. Tie scores will be settled by a sudden death cast off consisting of three scored casts by each contestant at the 60ft target.
  4. The ORCA casting champion will be determined by the highest score totaled from the three events. Ties will be settled by a sudden death cast off with each contestant making one cast at the 6o ft target with each of the three categories of tackle.

Duties
The Score Keeper runs the event, their judgment is final. They rule on any disputes concerning eligibility of tackle. They determine the order of casters and records participant scores as reported by the Judges and calculates the final scores.

The Judges position themselves to determine the distance the plug falls from the target and after conferring announce the score to the Score Keeper after each cast. A judge should manage each separate target.

Awards
The ORCA Casting Tournament Champion will have their name entered onto the ORCA Dennis “MAC” McNulty Casting Champion Award plaque. The Champion's name as well as the names of the winners in each of the three categories will be printed in the Reel News and announced in Orcaonline.

[Paul M]

There will be a Reel Restoration Workshop at the 2018 Annual Convention in Harpers Ferry and we are looking for specific reels that could be brought to the event by registered attendees. We would be interested in demonstrating repairs that can be accomplished with a few hand tools. (We are not planning to clean reels on site). Here are a few guidelines to consider:

We are seeking reels with bent handles, fallen off grasps that need to be re-peened, dented side plates, bent frames, bent cross pillars etc. We want to demonstrate and/or talk about straightforward restorations of antique reels. We will not have spare parts on hand or machine tools and time will be limited, so pre-planning is required. Reels should be free of grease, oil, etc. Patina & some corrosion would be OK. Let us know in advance if you have an old fly reel, early NLW reel, early level-wind reel or an old brass winch, for example, that we can consider for the event. We will need pictures and a description of the problem.

We already have a few specimens (like the broken Hardy fly reel shown below) and are still looking for different sorts of repairs that are feasible to demo in the short time available.

Please let me know what you have along these lines so I can provide an e-mail where pictures may be sent.
Paul Manuel
ORCA VP

[Bill Sonnett]

I shoot competitively with the flintlock rifle. iron open sights are one of the requirements. If I want to shoot in the event and don't own a flintlock, I have three choices: Buy one. borrow one or don't participate. I feel the same way about what up until now has been the "antique" tackle casting tournament at the ORCA National. Under the new rules, a person with a glass rod and an Ambassadeur 5000 outfitted with monofilament line will be competing against folks who use bamboo rods and pre 1940 reels. This strikes me as being allowed to use a modern crossbow against folks who have taken the time to hone their skills to compete in a contest for longbows only. I grew up using glass rods to fish with and still use them to fish with along with tubular steel. but the relaxation of rules for the "antique" tackle casting contest as stated above strikes me as part of a slow inexorable movement toward giving out "participation trophies" I don't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers on this matter but would feel remiss if I did not express my opinion.

PS. For those of you who still wish to use "antique" tackle, I will suggest the Missouri Old Time Tackle Tournament which is held each September. It consists of a fishing contest, an accuracy casting contest and a distance casting contest. The same pre-1940 tackle must be used for each event. A very good time is had by all.

[blf]

bill
OOOPS

sorry wrong post of ur's. nothing wrong with above.
sent mail to u on viet nam. might have been neighbors
b.l. farley

[Paul M]

The Clarion Inn has just SOLD OUT all guest rooms for the June 20-23 time frame. However, there are still reasonably priced alternative accommodations available at prevailing market rates about a mile away e.g. Quality Inn, Union St., Harpers Ferry WV 1-855-285-5058.... but the number of rooms is very limited- currently about 20 at the Quality Inn. So PLEASE MAKE UP YOUR MINDS TO COME and BOOK NOW! Also, please make sure you have registered with Roger Schultz and made arrangements for your display and sales tables. It is shaping up to be a great event!

[Mike N]

Paul- how many room reservations is the Clarion attributing to ORCA members? That’s great news.

Mike N

[Paul M]

Mike:
More than 30 rooms were booked under the ORCA rate at the Clarion.

[1badf350]

Non-orca members can attend all days or Saturday only?

[Brian F.]

A non-member can go to the hotel, mingle with members, meet people, but not participate in the activities put on by ORCA. You'd get a better deal by joining ORCA for a pretty reasonable fee of $35 which gets you 4 isues of the Reel News, access to the ORCA library and access to all of the fun convention activities.

[Richard Lodge]

I think Brian meant 6 issues per year of The Reel News (not 4). We publish every other month, with a great variety of articles about the history of fishing reels, details about how reels work, info on reelmakers and the companies that made and marketed old fishing reels.