Anthony Izak

Professor Joseph Gaudiana

English composition 160

10/14/2021

 

Dear Tomek, 

 

I finally found my favorite spot on campus. It’s this small overflow pond behind the furthest residence hall from me, Esopus, I call it the Esopus pond. It takes about five minutes to bike overthere from my dorn but it’s definitely worth it to check it out. During my free time or when I get stressed out I usually head over there to fish and clear my head. I’ve only caught a bass on my first day visiting the pond and had no luck other than that. It’s super disappointing but just the action of fishing clears my head and puts me in a better mindset. This overflow pond is still considered part of the famous New Paltz Gunk, but it’s not what it seems. It may look like it’s dirty and full of muck but actually it’s a healthy environment for fish to thrive in. Yet I still can’t catch a fish…

From what I read up on about my Esopus pond it turns out “The gunk gets its water from the rain runoff and the surrounding groundwater from nearby wetlands , ‘The shallow water flows slowly, dropping off nutrients and sediment in the Gunk, giving it its muddy look. Clean water can then flow down to the Southside Complex into the Sawmill Brook…’” Luckily the Southside loop complex is where the Esopus pond is located, meaning I get my clean water to fish in, but not enough big fish to catch.

Tomek, we have to come and bring our whole fishing setup here in order to at least catch a few more fish before my 4 years of college end, I see myself coming to the so called “Southside Loop pond” way more often as the spring comes along and hopefully more fish will spawn by then.i hope for a good fishing season, after all our fishing license don’t expire until July of next year. Maybe you can come in the winter with Piotr and we could ice fish if the ponds are frozen over, we could set up some chairs on the ice and I could show you what magic my Esopus Pond does to the mind and body, this place is such a stress reliever where you can just let go of anything that’s bothering you and keep going on with life. Although this is my quiet place to rest, I do share it with the usual couple walking around on the grass, killing time looking for a cute place to set up a picnic, as well as the usual fishers from on or around campus. Everyone keeps to themselves as I feel it’s a quiet spot for plenty of people on campus who know about this location. 

 

In the photos attached show what this pond actually looks like, a grass area with a decline into the water, water filled with algae and wildlife like the scally Largemouth bass, squishy catfish and tiny crapies.

I look forwards to hearing back from you and your favorite place in John J college, I’ll see you when I get back to Queens

 

Best regards,

 

Anthony Izak 

 

Work cited

Brogan, Daniel. “What’s That Funk in the Gunk?” The Little Rebellion, 27 Mar. 2014, https://thelittlerebellion.com/index.php/2014/03/whats-that-funk-in-the-gunk/.