The waters of the lake were calm, and the sounds of the frogs, which seemed to be having a feast, were the only evidence that life existed in the area. Out of nowhere, a dalmatian pelican dived into the water trying to catch one of the 17 species of fish that have been identified in the lake. He failed, however, and fluttered back to his nest. The peaks of the Pierian and Kamvounia mountains were still covered with snow, and the air descending from up there was still chilly, although spring was well and truly upon us.

Observing the 57 square kilometres covered by the lake, he remembered his ancestors, refugees from Sebasteia in Pontus, who used to tell him stories, which always stopped somewhere around 1973. It was then that the Public Power Corporation completed the construction of the Haliacmon River dam in order to serve the needs of the Polyfytos hydroelectric power station, and the river water began to flood the area where all the stories used to take place. Somewhere there, 91 meters below water surface, which is the maximum depth of the lake, would have been the countryside tavern where his mother and father first met, as well as their first home, before they moved from their village, Neraida, to Platy in Imathia.

He was in absolute awe of the lake that was stretching out before his eyes. Who would have thought that a spot, in the heart of the Greek mainland, located 273 meters above sea level, would become one of the most interesting destinations in the country for fishermen. Where children used to play and run around a few dozen years ago, 17 different species of fish now swim, with the most important being the presence of sheatfish, which often reach huge sizes. The waters of the lake are quickly renewed by the Haliacmon River, so the pollutants are removed, making the lake ideal not only for the fish that live in it, but also for their predators.