Brentley Kepple, 10, of Butler, stands on the right with the 28-inch muskie he caught Saturday in the Allegheny River near East Brady. Fishing with him was Adam Snow, standing on the left. Submitted photo

The fish Brentley Kepple snagged is part of the story. How he brought it in completes the tale.

Up to his knees in the Allegheny River upstream from East Brady, Brentley, 10, of Butler, felt a strong tug on his line Saturday afternoon.

“At first I thought it was a bass,” he said.

Less than a minute into his fight, the reel became detached from Brentley’s fishing pole.

“The reel fell into the water, so I started to pull on the line with my bare hands,” Brentley said. “When I got it close to shore, my friend, Callen (Kujbus) helped me get it out. I grabbed the front and he grabbed the back.”

What Brentley had caught was a 28-inch muskie. His mother’s fiance, Adam Snow, was fishing on a boat 100 yards away when he noticed Brentley struggling with the fish.

“When I got there, the fish was out of the water and belly up,” Snow said.

“I thought about keeping the fish and frying it up to eat, but muskies usually don’t taste very good,” Brentley said.

Snow put the fish back in the water and off swam Brentley’s catch, but he has a unique fishing story to tell for years to come.

“That was definitely the biggest fish I’ve caught,” he said. “I once caught a 20-inch catfish.”

Brentley has fished Lake Arthur a number of times, but has good reason to head to the Allegheny. Snow’s family has owned a camp near East Brady for decades. He was diagnosed with liver failure in 2012, but underwent a successful transplant at age 14 and was able to return to doing what he loves.

“I’ve been fishing since I can remember,” Snow said. “In that part of the river, there’s bass, walleye, northern pike, catfish ... ”

And muskies.

“I hope Brentley grows up to appreciate the peacefulness that fishing brings and the serenity of nature,” Snow said.