Bolstered by this experience, I took the time to cut that bait combo off and tie on a standard jig to get a better feel for the WCL76MH-FC. Unfortunately, the fish weren't in the mood for a slow moving jig, but I did like the feel I got from this stick hoping and dragging that jig across the bottom.

Fig 1 : The chart above illustrates the deflection characteristics of our Fenwick WCL76MH-FC World Class Casting Rod against the averages of our general purpose rods separated by power

Power: Fenwick's WCL76MH-FC gave me what I expect from a stick rated medium-heavy in power and back at the lab, that impression was backed up by how it performs in our deflection tests. The stick's length makes for a really nice combo of a stick with a relatively limber tip, but good power and leverage to help direct your fish to the boat once you manage a hook up.

Clean details throughout the rod

Design & Ergonomics: As mentioned earlier, the WCL76H-FC features a split rear grip, painted blank, exposed blank reel seat and so on. Fenwick installs decorative winding checks at each spot where the cork transitions to the blank. This helps give the rod a cleaner, more sophisticated look. To that end, while I'm disappointed on one end, that Fenwick has downgraded the guide train in their World Class series, the upside is the bluish-grey FazLite inserts are a good match for the color of the rod blank. It's a very subtle deal, but one that I really enjoy.

These winding checks are very subtle additions but make the rod feel more refined

Otherwise the WCL76H-FC comes in just shy of five ounces at four point nine (4.0) but with the typical tip-heaviness of a 7'-6" fishing rod. Fenwick does a really nice job with their proprietary reel seat on this stick and the cork is very clean if not a kind of un-natural white.

Fenwick refreshes the entire series but manages to maintain the price point at $299.95

Price & Applications: Fenwick has managed to refresh their World Series lineup and keep prices steady at $299.95. Certainly not a simple task in today's environment of escalating rod prices. If the trade off of holding at this price point is a slight downgrade in guides (yet inserts that match the blank) but increased sensitivity, I'll actually take that any day of the week. The WCL76MH-FC in particular is an excellent choice if you're still on your Search for One.

Conclusion: Finishing up the Plus/Minus matrix above, I oscillated between listing and not listing the rod's new guide train as a minus. I'm not often one to go light on a manufacturer for downgrading a component, but in the case of this particular stick (or series) though the FazLight is probably one step down from Alconite in Fuji's guide hierarchy, in terms of performance, I couldn't tell. That together with the way the inserts actually match the blank (or vice versa), honestly makes this component of the rod's evaluation a wash for me.

The WCL76MH-FC is a truly solid contender

The only real criticism I can make of this stick is it's a bit tip heavy, but even that's a bit to be expected given its length. It's just difficult to really balance out any stick over seven feet in length without sacrificing overall weight and at 4.9 ounces, the WCL76MH-FC is nice and light for a 7'-6" stick. Overall, this rod is comfortable to fish, has good sensitivity and power, and is really what you come to expect from something labeled as medium-heavy in power. At a time where it's difficult to determine what that really is anymore, it's good to know Fenwick is being consistent in this regard. The WCL76MH-FC is a truly solid contender.

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