Brandyn Shepherd appreciated this river muskie, caught Aug. 19 from the Fox River while fishing with Daniel Nilges. Shepherd noted it was a Leech Lake strain, likely an escapee from the Chain O’Lakes.

``Classic, skinny, big headed, summer, river fish . . . after days of drastic weather following the full moon,’’ he emailed. ``She most likely did not eat leading up to it . . . and the weather kept her quiet until - this morning. Skinny... but, still wide - across the back.’’

He caught her on a flat loaded with suckers adjacent to a deeper pool. He was slow rolling a 6-inch swimbait, casting downstream and swimming the lure upstream. She was cleanly released after photographs.

FOTW, the celebration of big fish and their stories (the stories matter) around Chicago fishing, runs Wednesdays in the Sun-Times. Submit nominations by message on Facebook (Dale Bowman), on Twitter and Instagram (@BowmanOutside) or email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com).

Shepherd sent a constructed story that I enjoyed, so in the online FOTW, I decided to run it in its entirety.

Here is his complete tale: