Old guy at the fish market told me to always smell the gills, not the skin

I was buying salmon for a big party last Friday, and this older guy next to me at the Fulton Fish Market saw me sniffing the fillet. He leaned over and said, 'Kid, the skin lies. You gotta check the gills, if they got 'em. If they're bright red, you're golden. If they're brown, walk away.' I thought it was just some old-timer talk, but I tried it. The skin on this one piece smelled fine, but the gills were a dull, muddy color. I passed on it and got a different fish. The party went off without a hitch, and everyone raved about the salmon. I've been doing it ever since. Has anyone else gotten a piece of advice from a market vendor that actually saved your bacon?

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