One of the most wonderful things about winter in Thassos is that one's friends have time. Both Greeks and ex-patriotic friends, many of whom work in seasonal employment, have time to spare and thoroughly enjoy including other friends either for their wintertime activities or for just chilling and chatting over coffee or drinks.

Having organised my new SIM card, and with the batteries returned to their rightful place in my drawer, and having worked out how to tell my Thassian friends of my new phone number, (Αυτό είναι το νέο μου ελληνικό αριθμό, afto eine to neo mou elliniko arithmo!!), I was having my early-morning (actually late breakfast) coffee on my balcony, gazing out across the bay to Kavala and beyond, when I was pleased to get my first text message.

“The fish are nibbling not biting” might seem like a code message to many, (think of Rene Dubois, ‘Allo, ‘Allo?) , but in my reply ”to where are you”, “ between the ferries”, I realised it was no code, no joke, and I grabbed my rod and tackle box to join a couple of friends who were as they said, “between the ferries”...

Now this might seem on the face of it a mad place to tackle up, but, in the winter, the ferries are less frequent, up to two hours between departures, and it seems that the fish enjoy the food which is disturbed from the bottom of the harbour when the ferries depart. The wonderful thing is, that the water here, regardless of the fact that it is the arrival and departure point for the ferries, is still remarkably clean, and thus the fish are excellent. And after only a very short time, and also a very extensive discussion about each other's relative baits and end rigs and tackle, we got half a dozen or so rather small bass, one of my very favourite, (although probably at this size we would have thrown them back in the UK), as well as a very appreciative and very attentive audience of passing Greeks, every single one of them told me how and where to cast, how to catch, and exactly how to cook and serve the fish.

Apparently this is a good spot as well in the evenings, although I think if I were to go then at night I'd have to have a very good light, because the harbour edge goes quite steeply into the sea at this point.

I'll let you know, but now I'm off to grill my small bass on my Thassos balcony (in winter), my small portable grill having been brought for this specific purpose, and I shall serve them with my own olive oil, some fresh squeezed lemon, warm local bread, winter salad and plan my next fishing trip, between the winter ferries.