natalie behring

Photographer

Ding-a- Ling Invasion

A portrait of a ling-cod. La Barge USA

Ice fishing tents are seen on t...h the Green River. La Barge USA

Ice fishing tents are seen on the Fontanelle Reservoir during an ice fishing derby in La Barge, Wyoming February 2025. Fishermen are encouraged to catch as many ling-cod as possible to stop the invasive species from spreading through the Green River. La Barge USA

The view from inside an ice fis...tanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

The view from inside an ice fishing tent on the Fontanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

A sign welcomes people to the s...La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

A sign welcomes people to the small town of La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

Cassidy Brandt, attendant at th...La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

Cassidy Brandt, attendant at the Fast Stop express, the only place to buy food in the small town of La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

A stop sing with bullet holes i...he Fontanelle Dam. La Barge USA

A stop sing with bullet holes in it near the Fontanelle Dam. La Barge USA

A man and his son drill a hole ...e to fish through. La Barge USA

A man and his son drill a hole in the ice to fish through. La Barge USA

Fishermen on the ice on the Fontanelle Reservior. La Barge USA

A fishermen wears crampons on h...tanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

A fishermen wears crampons on his cowboy boots at the Fontanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Ling cod are seen with their ta... be counted twice. La Barge USA

Ling cod are seen with their tails cut off in La Barge, Wyoming February 9, 2025. One Game and Fish measure the fish, the tails care chopped off so a fish cannot be counted twice. La Barge USA

Kids fish for ling-cod. La Barge USA

Ice fishers cross over thick ic...tanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Ice fishers cross over thick ice on four-wheelers at Fontanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Wind and snow fall on the ice a...tanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Wind and snow fall on the ice at Fontanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Tammy Abraham with her dog Koda Bear in a small ice-fishing tent.

A meal worn is used for bait to catch ling cod. La Barge USA

Jeremiah Christiansen and his d...by, Ding-the-Ling. La Barge USA

Jeremiah Christiansen and his daughter Syndie Salgado from Green River, Wyoing take park in the ice-fishing derby, Ding-the-Ling. La Barge USA

Ice fishers cross over thick ice on four-wheelers at Fontanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Ling cod at Fontanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Tammy and Larry Abraham with th... ice-fishing tent. La Barge USA

Tammy and Larry Abraham with their dog Koda Bear in a small ice-fishing tent. La Barge USA

Larry Abraham with looks out fr... ice-fishing tent. La Barge USA

Larry Abraham with looks out from his small ice-fishing tent. La Barge USA

A drill for making holes in the ice is seen La Barge USA

A sing for the Ding-the_ling ic...La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

A sing for the Ding-the_ling ice fishing derby in La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

A detail from the Eagle bar, a ...rom yard chickens. La Barge USA

A detail from the Eagle bar, a 100 year old bar in La Barge where the bartender sells eggs 12$ for a dozen from yard chickens. La Barge USA

The Gas station in La Barge, Wy...in the small town. La Barge USA

The Gas station in La Barge, Wyoming February 2025. The gas station, The Fast Stop Express is the only place to buy food in the small town. La Barge USA

The bedspread at the Wyoming In...g February 2025. F La Barge USA

The bedspread at the Wyoming Inn in La Barge, Wyoming February 2025. F La Barge USA

A piece of pizza in a case at t...La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

A piece of pizza in a case at the gas station in La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

Fishing contestants at the SOS ...s smallest fishes. La Barge USA

Fishing contestants at the SOS building gather to weigh and measure their ling cods in La Barge, Wyoming February 9, 2025. Prizes were given out for the biggest as well as smallest fishes. La Barge USA

Once the ling cod are weighed a... be counted twice. La Barge USA

Once the ling cod are weighed and measured, the tails are cut off so the fish cannot be counted twice. La Barge USA

A ling-cod is measured at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Once the ling cod are weighed and measured, the tails are cut off so the fish cannot be counted twice. La Barge USA

Robert Keith, the Regional Fish... for winning tags. La Barge USA

Robert Keith, the Regional Fisheries Supervisor for the Green River Region, scans ling cod for winning tags. La Barge USA

Cinnamon rolls on offer to fish...t at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Cinnamon rolls on offer to fishermen who had been fishing through the night at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

A basset hound checks out a coo...h at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

A basset hound checks out a cooler full of fish at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

A bucket of ling cod. Some said...ing Lobster." La Barge USA

A bucket of ling cod. Some said the ling cod are delicious and known as 'Wyoming Lobster." La Barge USA

Young ice fisherman Gunnar Allen (8) at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Jenny Brandt of the La Barge Ac... February 9, 2025. La Barge USA

Jenny Brandt of the La Barge Activities Committee at the fish weigh-in in La Barge Wyoming February 9, 2025. La Barge USA

Ice-fishing couple Avalon Green...s at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Ice-fishing couple Avalon Green & Trevor Jones at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

A girl with camping hair at the...s smallest fishes. La Barge USA

A girl with camping hair at the weigh-in in La Barge, Wyoming February 9, 2025. Prizes were given out for the biggest as well as smallest fishes. La Barge USA

A ling cod is weighed in La Bar...s smallest fishes. La Barge USA

A ling cod is weighed in La Barge, Wyoming February 9, 2025. Prizes were given out for the biggest as well as smallest fishes. La Barge USA

Fisherman Christian Kelly from ... drive a car over. La Barge USA

Fisherman Christian Kelly from Kemmerer at the weigh-in. The orange device around his neck can be used to claw oneself out of a hole should they fall through the ice while fishing. The ice was said to be 16 inches thing, and strong enough to drive a car over. La Barge USA

Ice fishermen clockwise, Keith ...quest of a friend. La Barge USA

Ice fishermen clockwise, Keith Puz from Colorado took part in the ice-fishing derby at the request of a friend. La Barge USA

A view of La Barge, Wyoming February 2025. La Barge USA

Carrie Starkey at the Easgle Ba...in the small town. La Barge USA

Carrie Starkey at the Easgle Bar in La Barge, Wyoming. Starkey manages the only hotel in the small town. La Barge USA

A sign welcomes people to the small town of La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

An interior view of the Eagle B...re than 100 years. La Barge USA

An interior view of the Eagle Bar, which has been operating as a social center in the small town of La Barge for more than 100 years. La Barge USA

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Thumbnail of A portrait of a ling-cod. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Ice fishing tents are seen on th_gh the Green River. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of The view from inside an ice fish_ntanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A sign welcomes people to the sm_ La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Cassidy Brandt, attendant at the_ La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A stop sing with bullet holes in_the Fontanelle Dam. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A man and his son drill a hole i_ce to fish through. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Fishermen on the ice on the Fontanelle Reservior. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A fishermen wears crampons on hi_ntanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Ling cod are seen with their tai_t be counted twice. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Kids fish for ling-cod. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Ice fishers cross over thick ice_ntanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Wind and snow fall on the ice at_ntanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Tammy Abraham with her dog Koda Bear in a small ice-fishing tent.

Thumbnail of A meal worn is used for bait to catch ling cod. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Jeremiah Christiansen and his da_rby, Ding-the-Ling. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Ling cod at Fontanelle Reservoir. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Tammy and Larry Abraham with the_l ice-fishing tent. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Larry Abraham with looks out fro_l ice-fishing tent. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A drill for making holes in the ice is seen La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A sing for the Ding-the_ling ice_ La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A detail from the Eagle bar, a 1_from yard chickens. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of The Gas station in La Barge, Wyo_ in the small town. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of The bedspread at the Wyoming Inn_ng February 2025. F La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A piece of pizza in a case at th_ La Barge, Wyoming. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Fishing contestants at the SOS b_as smallest fishes. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Once the ling cod are weighed an_t be counted twice. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A ling-cod is measured at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Robert Keith, the Regional Fishe_d for winning tags. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Cinnamon rolls on offer to fishe_ht at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A basset hound checks out a cool_sh at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A bucket of ling cod. Some said _ming Lobster." La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Young ice fisherman Gunnar Allen (8) at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Jenny Brandt of the La Barge Act_g February 9, 2025. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Ice-fishing couple Avalon Green _es at the weigh-in. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A girl with camping hair at the _as smallest fishes. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A ling cod is weighed in La Barg_as smallest fishes. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Fisherman Christian Kelly from K_o drive a car over. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Ice fishermen clockwise, Keith P_equest of a friend. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of A view of La Barge, Wyoming February 2025. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of Carrie Starkey at the Easgle Bar_ in the small town. La Barge USA

Thumbnail of An interior view of the Eagle Ba_ore than 100 years. La Barge USA

Ding_A_Ling_Invasion_Pitch_(1).pdf 9.73 MB

Public Project

Ding-a- Ling Invasion

Updated May 2025

Summary

My outdoor writer friend Dave Zoby and I went to the remote town of La Barge, Wyoming to check out an ice-fishing contest in Februray. La Barge has almost nothing, no restaurants, no healthcare, no newspaper, no grocery store - the only places to get "food" are two gas station, and you can buy fresh eggs at the Eagle Bar (yes, they have a bar).

While the story is about fishing, its also a look into life in an ultra rural, ultra conservative pocket of Wyoming

Please DM me for a link to the story.

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