1. Depending on the sort of fly fishing you do, might or might not use the handle on your reel a lot. If you fish for salmon you probably will use the handle, where as for trout, you might not.
2. If you do fish for trout and salmon, or go sea fishing as well, instead of trying to find your perfect fly fishing reels, it might make sense to have two rods and more appropriate reels, rather than trying to do everything with one.
3. How often you go fishing will also help to determine whether the reels you are using are right. There's little point in thinking you need the best reels if you only go fishing a couple of times a year. If you spend all your free time fishing, then having better fly fishing reels will be worth it.
4. Where you go fishing might determine what reels you use. Sitting by the side of a lake spending more time talking than seeing what's biting won't be as involving as being waist deep in a raging river trying to keep a large salmon on your line.
5. You might want to try different sorts of reels. A lightweight reel could be more suitable for you, or you might want to stick with your heavier reel to give you a bit more control and feedback from your rod.
6. Every reel you have should be easy to use. You'll often have cold and wet hands, and won't want to be messing with a complex reel when you need to be able to do something quickly.
7. Depending on the sort of fly fishing reels you use, you might benefit from new fishing lines too. You might be looking at catching heavier, or lighter fish, or setting up a rod for a particular use. You might want a rod to take on holiday, or for your children, or for when you fish a lake, or a river.
8. You'll want to make sure that you have the right sort of protection for your fishing reels. If your current reel bag isn't providing the protection you need, because it's too big or too small, then you're in danger of damaging your reels.
9. Your fly fishing reels are important, and you'll want to ensure that you're using the right ones for the places you fish, and sort of fish you catch. It's pointless choosing a reel solely on brand, or because a friend uses it, or it got a good review in a magazine. You'll need to see for your self whether it's right for you. If you are looking for a new reel, you'll want to establish what you do and don't like about yours, and the other essential features you want.
10. You'll want to get value for money from all of your fishing tackle. No matter whether you fish once a twice a year whilst on holiday, or are by the lake every weekend, buying things that are cheap but you'll never use, or economising on the essential things that you'll use all the time is not the best idea. Value for money doesn't mean the cheapest.
