Aha. So perhaps I expected the @ in @$fldref[] to operate on the whole thing, whereas I need the @{} to point out the subscript should be on the inside to (de)refer to the right array...

I admit I don't always immediately understand in complex variable statements which @{(@$var[3])->[0]}[3] subscript applies to which part... At one point 2 3 4 levels deep with one single ref, the whole operator precedence becomes a bit confusing.

Thanks for the help.