2008 ORCA Colorado National

reelland44 · Post by **reelland44** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:08 pm

Hello All,

As the trout is out of the net, I thought I would leak a little information to those of you who might like to make early hotel reservations for next summer's 2008 ORCA convention. It will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 3 through June 8th, 2008. I will be hosting (Bill Land) along with help from fellow Colorado member Nate Dunham and a few others to be determined as I can nail them down (my wife for one), as well of course as the usual help from Roger Schulz, Jim Schottenham, Andy Foster, Bill Muth and reels News editor Richard Lodge.

The hotel is the Clarion Hotel Downtown, located at 314 W. Bijou just off I-25 interstate. We have 60 of their 194 rooms reserved at $80/night for single/double/triple/ or quad occupancy. The Clarion Hotel will hold these blocked rooms until 5/13/08. Rooms over 60 or after 5/13/08 will still get the $80 ORCA rate if available. Just mention ORCA or Old Reels Collector's Association when reserving your room. Reservations can be made by calling the Clarion Hotel Downtown at 800-477-8610 or (719) 471-8680. Take a look, too, at the Clarion Hotel Downtown's webstite as well at clarionhotel.com for hotel specifics.

I think we might run out of the blocked 60 rooms as many members have already talked about coming to Colorado and spending a little time before or after convention for family vacations. I will be adding information about the convetion as well as all their is to do here in Colorado Springs and Colorado while here for wives and kids. So, make sure to make your reservations well before the 5/13/08 cutoff date.

The Colorado Springs airport is only about 20 minutes away and the hotel will provide free shuttle to and from the CS airport. The Denver International Airport is about 85 minutes north (no free schuttle). The Clarion Hotel Downtown also provides complimentary shuttle service within a three mile radius of the hotel for restaurants, shopping, museums, downtown Colorado Springs and much more.

More information on show registration forms, table costs, show seminars, available airlines, etc., will follow soon and in the next Reel News (not the current issue). Hope to see many of you here. Brian, the temperature will be just a little cooler than Hawaii I am afraid, probabally 65-75.

And yes, there will be a trout fishing contest in the mountains west of Colorado Springs.

Sorry Brian, Pflueger big surf reels probably will not work, but will have loaners.

Click here to go straight to the registration page: 2008 Convention

reelland44 · Post by **reelland44** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:43 am

Oops,

Sorry, this is the one I really wanted to bring up to the top. Bill Land.

Richard Lodge · Post by **Richard Lodge** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:32 pm

A huge tip of the hat to Bill for hosting the 2008 ORCA National in Colorado. He's right about more info in the next Reel News. The November issue, which will be in the mail shortly, includes a blue centerspread. There you'll find both a 2008 ORCA dues form and a registration form for the 2008 National convention. Also, on the back of the dues form you'll find a list of items from the ORCA store that might be of interest.

Don Champion · Post by **Don Champion** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:54 pm

Bill, if that trout fishing is in streams I'll bet one could get a bit chilly in cutoff jeans and old tennis shoes! Think waders. I wish I had some.

reelland44 · Post by **reelland44** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:22 pm

Don,

Good point. Yes Don, stream temperature will be in the low 30 degress. Your tennis shoes and cutoffs might be cause for smerf leg syndrome (by smerf I mean blue Len). However, I was able to trout fish that way in my high school days. Of course, as a kid I always fell into the stream at least twice, so waders were pointless, probably even dangerous.

I will check into the local fishing/fly shops as I think some will rent waders fairly inexpensively. I also intend to have loaner sets of pre-50s fly rod, line and reel set ups for those that may not have. Waders DO NOT have to be pre-50s. Maybe some of us Colorado members can come up with some spare waders as well.

Tight lines, Bill Land.

reelland44 · Post by **reelland44** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:33 pm

By the way, the trout fishing contest does include pre-50s casting rods, reels, artificial baits and line. I don't want to make it sound like it is only a fly fishing contest. But, waders would still come in handy. Of course, bait casting reel fisherman can fish the river I have choosen without waders, too, and very easily cast to the far bank of river. Bill.

Jack Bright · Post by **Jack Bright** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:05 am

I understand the 'season' is open year `round, are there license options ?

reelland44 · Post by **reelland44** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:03 pm

Hey Jack,

Yes, year round fishing, with some exceptions for certain lakes and reservoirs. I beleive there is a dailly, two day, and weekly out of state license options. I will find out and post later or put up the Colorado Fish & Game web site if I can find out what it is, too. Bill.

Reelman · Post by **Reelman** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:16 pm

I believe all the information. Is on the orca web page. Just click on 2008 Convention. It has a link to the The Clarion Hotel Downtown web site and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources web site with the state fishing and hunting license. And you can buy the license on line.

Post by **Brian F.** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:45 am

Thanks, Bill, for stepping up "big time" to host the National. I've been to enough to see how much effort each host and the supporting cast puts into these things and it IS a remarkable feat! I have no doubt that this year's event will be just as good, if not better. I would encourage everyone to make their arrangements early as this helps out tremendously with planning. And, promptly not taking my own advice, wish I could say for sure that I'll be attending but as of the moment, I have a lot on my plate to take care of first. I do know that is one area of the country I would especially like to visit - I hear there are a lot of retired big game fishermen in those parts

reelland44 · Post by **reelland44** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:41 pm

This site seems to work better than the one given in the Convention link. Lots of links to things to do in and around Colorado Springs as well.
www.clarionhotel.com/ires/en-US/html/Ho ... otel=CO025
Bill Land

Reelman · Post by **Reelman** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:43 am

The link has been fixed. They changed their home page address. After I built the Convention page. But it has been updated. With the new address.

Sorry for the mix up.

Post by **Brian F.** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:19 am

Here's a link to a short article on the upcoming National Convention by host Bill Land. Lot's of additional information. Thanks Bill!

2008 Convention by Bill Land.