I am sure you have noticed but there is a lot of peer pressure among experienced anglers not to reveal information particularly regarding locations and times. Talk about a stream or lake and someone will chirp up about the need to protect sensitive systems or some lecture about not communicating 'secret' locations or spots. Others will complain how internet 'outing' floods once quiet spots with aggressive tyros.
Traditionally most new anglers learned the sport from friends, relatives or work mates and then supplemented that from books and magazines. There are dozens of websites etc to mine for general and local information. Why don't newbies use them? Sure experienced anglers will offer some advice on the water and sometimes it such means asking. Another issue is the behaviour of inexperienced anglers; some and I am not saying all will kill anything they catch regardless of regulations, litter or take their entire extended family to bulk up the catch. It may just a small minority but you never know who you're dealing with. Experienced anglers are understandably protective of the places they fish and their advice.
You'd be surprised how many people usually do, but sometimes even that fact finding mission of google or other websites, its hard to interpret that information, you know what they say about assumptions. they make a A SS out of you and me.
Not everyone has a great pool of friends to get advice and knowledge. Ideally that gap was filled by places like these forums, which Rod has even said this is suppose to be somewhat a giant Q and A.
People don't have the luxury now a days of commuting to all high heaven like the old days when it was 0.92/L its not always about getting into fish looking for these lakes and rivers/streams about just finding a spot they know will be reliable and tired of the guessing game.
One could argue everything you just argued about could easily be said to someone who's visited the same sites or asked some fundamental questions and just end up lashing out, they get frustrated and decide "I don't give a F!"
I guarantee i bet most would not even help people out on the water if they saw them struggling, or they showed up and a place was crowded out, I've given up spots so fishermen, regardless of age and sex can get a spot. Rather then being a dick and saying "just walk the river find a spot" they came to that spot for a reason. Probably on the advice of someone. It's a easy conversation to have "I'm about ready for my daily bad habit, have at her...don't go deep, couple of nasty snags" though I definitely prefer to only give up my spots to cute red heads and younger adults/tweens getting started.
No, Honor, No Valor, No Compassion, Not a drop of Humility anymore. Which is why you have a recreational sport more divided than Palestinians and the Israelites. Thats the bug up my butt. Not about finding a place to fish or when tides are, they are guides for that, its true and apps (everyone has a smartphone or should by now) Orvis App is beast.
Also if you want great fishing locations/tips and gear Tom Rosenbauer - a renowned fly fisherman who has got a few great books out there.
His last two podcasts have been about Atlantic and Steelhead fishing as well as a pod about west coast saltwater fly fishing.
But if people want give out some information regardless of the kind of question it might thats there right.