As announced by DRAGONtail Tenkara, they have released a 245 cm mini rod designed for the small stream angler. Named the TinyTALON 245, it promises a pleasing flex action in a highly packable length. Adorned with a comfortable cork handle and having a compact collapsed length, the TinyTALON 245 offers small stream tenkara anglers another rod option for those situations where a shorter rod length is desired.
One of the challenges of designing a compact tenkara rod is that all the section joints tend to increase the stiffness of the rod. But design advances have been made over the years, as demonstrated by the TinyTALON 245 having an Rod Flex Index (RFI) of 4.0. This gives the rod a pleasing casting action despite its short nested length.
| Characteristic | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Segments | 12 |
| Nested (w/ tip plug) | 28.5 cm (11 in.) |
| Extended | 247 cm (8 ft. 1.25 in.) |
| Handle Length | 15 cm (5.9 in.) |
| Weight (w/o tip plug) | 52 g (1.8 oz.) |
| CCS | 10 pennies |
| RFI | 4.0 |
How does the TinyTALON 245 compare with another 240 cm DRAGONtail rod, the Mizuchi zx340 zoom rod?
Well, the TinyTALON is more compact when nested, as well as being a few centimeters longer when extended than the Mizuchi (in its 240 cm length). The TinyTALON is lighter overall, and while having a stiffer tip section than the Mizuchi, has softer mid and lower sections, thus lowering its RFI compared to the Mizuchi (Mizuchi 16 pennies, RFI 6.6). This makes the TinyTALON more pleasing to cast, especially when using a light level line. Since it’s winter in my neck of the woods and all the small creeks are frozen, I haven’t been able to fish the rod. But it casts a #3 fluorocarbon level line of various lengths beautifully.
Conclusion
If you are a small stream tenkara angler or like having very compact rods, then the TinyTALON 245 may be what you’re looking for! It will fit in your pocket and yet still has a pleasing flex action. It’s sure to be a winner for the small creek crowd! Pre-order launch starts January 7th at 1 PM EST, 11 AM MST, and the first shipment will arrive sometime in April 2025.
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