The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Before reading any further, drum on the table with your middle three fingers, diddle-dum, diddle-dum.

Did you go "Ring, middle, index"?

I'll be quite surprised if many went the other way, unless this is a very pianist-rich forum. It seems to be the easiest way to do it.
Its also the easiest order in which to straighten your fingers to let go of, for instance, loops of line...

You're probably way ahead of me now, but I may as well finish: elsewhere, I was discussing the virtues or otherwise of a second butt-ring fitted close to the first, to facilitate the gathering of loops without climbing up the rod like an elderly imitation of one of those monkey-on-a-stick toys; I'd had problems with the loops fouling each other on the release.

On advice received, I tried gathering the loops with my line-hand held palm-down, rather than palm-up as had felt more natural. This meant that the top loop was collected by the ring finger, the one between the two butt-rings by the middle finger, and the one from reel to butt-ring on the index.
Loop-release in the proper sequence and without the loops crossing and twisting became (almost) as natural as breathing.
Worth a try if you ever have trouble with this cast.

The only down-side I've noticed is that you lose the ability to launch the float out with a hefty haul on the top loop held between index finger and thumb; it has to be a friction-pull by the ring finger - am I missing something?

Think I have discussed this before with you Vole on another forum. If you put a butt ring low down the rod which is OK in my opinion, you can start your first loop off line after the first butt guide. I find this better as it stops line going around the back of the reel.
I take line from every alternative guide up the rod, works for me.

MA

Good point, and one I'd missed.
Another reason for a low-down butt-ring is quick striking, using a finger in that same loop as a pulley. Apparently a lot of old-school hempers used that. Whether it worked or not is moot; I'm not convinced those "phantom" bites are hittable,
I must do battle with that site's search engine and re-read that thread!

Edit - later- done that. Good heavens, was that only September? It felt as though I'd been mulling that over for years. Many thanks!

Yes I can confirm the trick about faster striking works vole. I use it at close range stick float fishing to hit lightning fast dace bites its surprising how much of a difference it makes.

MA

Thanks, I obviously lack faith. Or co-ordination. Or both.

I wonder if a layer of glueless plumbers' tape as a base for a varnished whipping would be a good base on which to tape on a temporary butt-ring without lifting vintage varnish off when it is removed?

Not sure. What I did was just use electrical black tape to hold the guide on . That way I could play about with the positioning