Actually, sometimes a skated dry fly acrossed the surface will outfish bait. Granted that you have to be at the right place and time and hookups arn't every strike, but still I'd rather watch a huge fish pound a furface fly than some thing that I can't see.

For me: Skating Muddler Minnow, a black stonefly nymph with rubber legs, small spey, or a shrimp pattern.

Now, if I could actually get a dry/skated fly strike to actually get hooked...