I am just getting back into flyfishing after a 35 year layoff. I have a Fenwick HMG756 made in the mid eighties and has never had a reel on it (I was a tackle rep and won a contest for Fenwick sales). My question is have there been changes in the past 25 years in lines were I should be concerned about matching up the optimal line weight , I seem to vaguely remember wanting a 5wt for some reason. Maybe it could be my obsession with not using anything anybody else uses when it comes to outsmarting a fish which usually results in the opposite effect. Thanks for any advice. I plan on trout fishing with what I have used in the past mainly nymphs and streamers.
Look on the rod just above the handle and it should tell you what line weight the rod is rated for. Lines have changed a great deal since then. I might suggest, if your rod is rated for a 5wt, then a WF5F in a decent company like Scientific Angler or RIO
When I researched my old Fiberglass Shakespeare's, they wear always recommending one weight over the original weight. Line changes over the years, etc. That
7'6" early graphite will probably like a 6wt. WF for a fast action. A 7wt. WF will slow it down, though. If you can, try both. I bought the Cortland Sylk line that looks like the old lines. Love it!