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You couldn't go wrong with a rod from that line although there are plenty of 7 to 7 1/2' models of othr makes for substantially less. In that regard the fly shop made a right-on suggestion. Personally, on a given budget, I'd rather have three or four rods for less than three or four hundred dollars than one for that amount. Now that jgestar has said it, I would add the second point as well. A 3 weight is just not an all-around rod; it is a specialty weight for small flies and--at the risk of upsetting someone--small fish. Yes, you can land about anything on a 3-weight, but at the expense of playing a large fish to exhaustion rather than a clean catch and releae. It's kind of like using a .410 shotgun as an all-around small game gun. You can kill anything with it, but at the expense of lost cripples and fly-offs that die later. In the fiberglass era, an all-around rod is a 6 or even a 7 weight, 7 1/2 or 8' long. Back that down for small waters and you have a 5 or 6 weight (maybe a 4) 7' or 7 1/2'. Size an outfit to the intended fly size range, which for brook fishing (except maybe in low summer flows) is probably, as in most trout fishing, 6 to 14. That is a 6-weight wheelhouse, or a 5. Hoppers of any size are bulky to cast (yes, it can be done in the same way that a pheasant can be killed with .410) on a 3 weight. I'd far rather have to fish size 18 and up flies on a five or six-weight once in a while than have to chunk bulky dries, large wet flies, or streamers on a 3 weight. With the mid-line weights, the delicacy, such as is needed, for these smaller flies is still easily obtained by the front taper and the leader style, and the 5 and 6 are far more versatile within the usual fly size range, as well as for roll casting, mending line, and more comfortable, accurate casting across a range of normal fishing distances. Plus when you do get a larger fish, you can land it without a long thrashing down the brook or in the pool. This means less disturbance to the water you're fishing--more chance to get another one.

Pictures/results to follow, please. That's going to be a pleasure to fish and, taken care of, an heirloom as well.