Droppers with Nymphs

I've always had an aversion to strike indicators and weighted flies, but I must admit there are pocket water runs that would produce thru the winter using the same techniques that the entire great lakes fishery relies upon - small dead-drifted nymphs.

I won't go as far as indicators persoanlly, but I was shown a great technique by Bob Desplaines, a former Colorado guide now guiding in New England. It uses a hollow-fibered spun fly with a dropper off the bend of the hook to drift a nymph. Stimulator, sofa pillow, trude, etc. This technique is no secret in trout circles, and is a good way to hook fish either/or - on the surface, or down in the column.

But I haven't seen anyone using it for steelhead. I've watched jig and bobber guys hammer fish after fish in frog water, wishing I could get a few drifts thru, but I have yet to see a dropper rig being fished in that manner. With so much water in the PNW, you'd think someone would experiment with that.