CURWENSVILLE – A special trout stocking in memory of Lyle Domico was held on May 15 on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Curwensville.
Founder and coordinator of Squirrel Tails for Trout, Pat Domico, arranged the stocking to honor his late brother.
Lyle Domico was well known in the area as a successful football coach. According to his obituary, from 1962-1998, Lyle taught High School and coached football at three different schools: Cambria Heights, Johnstown Vo-Tech and Curwensville Area.
During his football coaching career, he received numerous awards and took over five losing programs and turned them into winning programs. He was the 1980 PA State Class AA Football Coach of the Year, PA State Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame in 1999, Clearfield County Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, Central PA Football coaches Hall of Fame in 2001 and Lock Haven Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Lyle helped coach PSU football camps for 30 years and was past president of the PA Football Coaches Association.
Pat was very pleased with the turnout for the event.
“It was a great day. People came from everywhere!”
He would like to thank “the great individuals who supported this stocking and Clearfield County Commissioners John Sobel and Tim Winters.”
Donations for this “huge” stocking effort came from Tommy Wingard, Dean Lansberry, Bil1and Jane Russell, Lezzer Lumber Holdings, Merrill Dunlap, Robert E. Gearhart Family, and Bee Kind Winery.
Pat said a “big” thank you goes to Nate Booker and the Curwensville Fly Tying Club, and CNB Bank in Clearfield.
The Squirrel Tails for Trout program collects squirrel tails which are sent to Sheldons’ Inc. in Antigo, Wisconsin where the hair is used to make the popular Mepps lure.
The money paid for the tails is then sent to the fish farm that provides fish for the annual stocking events.
Pat started the organization in 2005.
Recently Pat was awarded a House Citation by Dallas Kephart, “in recognition of his fifty years of dedicated service as host of the Kids’ Fishing Derby at Parker State Park,” Kephart said in a recent release.
Kephart also acknowledged Domico’s efforts raising money for regular trout stocking events in not only the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, but Curwensville Lake and Parker Dam.
If you would like to donate to Squirrel Tails for Trout or want more information, call 814-236-3621.
