A varient of this idea has been used to some effect on particular sailboats with airfoil masts. The leading edge of the mast retains a smooth finish, but aft of the point of maximum thickness (at the estimated point of flow separation), the surface is coated with coarse sand (a slurry of sand & varnish is painted on the spar). The idea was originally proposed with Rice Krispies, of all things, & the resulting delayed separation is called the "rice krispy effect". It works -- sort of -- to keep flow attached closer to the luff of the sail.

It has also been tried on the frames of racing bicycles & on the bodies of some riders -- instead of shaving their legs all around, as per usual, only the front sides were shaved -- leaving the backsides hairy [:'(]

On an aircraft wing, it might work if the surface was dimpled aft of the point of separation -- certainly not on the leading edge. It is also possible that the front face of a prop could be similarly dimpled -- particularly in the nasty root-transition zone.