The choice would depend on your timeline and expectations. If you are going to get HW in say the next 3 months, I would just keep the materia and pause my fishing goals until then.
If your timeline is significantly longer than that, I would go full tilt on melding and gearing towards 2.55 BiS. That 2.55 gear with a new rod should be good enough to level you all the way to 60 once you get HW.