Compact & Capable
The Tenkara Guy
May 2025
Article and photos by Zane Jacobs.
The TinyTalon 245 is the latest offering from DragonTail Tenkara. As the name suggests, it is 245 centimeters long when extended. For those of us used to American measurements, that puts this rod just a hair over 8 feet. The real party piece is a collapsed length of 11 5/16 inches long, putting it comfortably in the pocket rod category.
To start off, I don’t like the term “pocket rod.” I have only ever carried one rod in my pocket and I didn’t like it one bit. The TinyTalon could be carried in a pocket, but I prefer to carry my fishing gear in a bag, rather than cargo pants. It does fit into about any section of any bag I use. I prefer my rods to be fully packed away and not protruding at all. A TinyTalon would need to be improperly tucked away to cause any issues transporting it. I like compact rods in general, and this one scores big on the small scale.
Setting up the rod is business as usual. No fuss while extracting the sections from within each other. The sections all seated firmly and securely. The short cork grip fits my hand well, but if your hands are large, you may find the grip lacking. There is ample lillian on a micro swivel, with no pre-tied safety knot. Overall, it is exactly what you come to expect from a premium company like DragonTail.
In my excitement to use the rod, I made a few parking lot casts. I was immediately disappointed in the feeling of casting. Something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on what precisely was. I wrote it off as being on asphalt rather than in a creek. A few days later I made it to a creek with the rod. My disappointment continued. I tried to adapt my casting to the rod and found that a difference in timing alleviated all my woes. The TinyTalon seems to like a more deliberate whipping motion.
With the fly in the water, it feels like any other rod. There is not much to distinguish this rod from any other in this situation. Rods with a lot of sections like the TinyTalon tend to feel a bit heavier than they actually are. It seems to be an issue of balance for the most part. To make a compact rod, when collapsed, it has to have more sections than usual. The more sections you have, the further up the rod the center of gravity feels. All of this is to say that the TinyTalon can be a little fatiguing after hours of casting.
Once hooked up with a fish you can feel the backbone the rod has. The TinyTalon is sensitive enough to feel the smallest bite and strong enough to make quick work of landing anything less than 7 inches long. When it comes to streams with mostly 3- to 5-inch fish, the TinyTalon can feel like too much rod. Multiple fish came flying out of the water upon a vigorous hook set. The fish that were closer to 7 to 9 inches managed to stay submerged for most of the fight. I suspect any fish in the 12- to 14-inch range would be a very fun fight, while still very controlled.
In the end, I really like the TinyTalon. I can think of a few creeks that it wouldn’t be right for, but more come to mind where it could really shine. I love the short cork grip and the collapsed size of the rod. If it were a little more delicate it would be ideal for almost every stream I fish. It is
exceptionally well made and you can feel it.
By the time you read this, I will be in Scotland. The TinyTalon is one of two rods I will have with me. It has already become a permanent addition to my fishing bag.
