After I did the uphill pull from Mulberry Creek (previous post), I drove to Blowing Rock and turned down Johns River Road, which eventually changes to Globe Road. The creeks I was seeking are tributaries of Thunderhole Creek, which I first fished back in 2011 (new creek #477). A right turn put me on FR 4071, which crosses New Years Creek, and is gated just before China Creek. Both of those have good populations of wild rainbows in that area, but I've heard they have specs higher up. I fished New Years Creek just a little ways above the bridge and caught seven wild rainbows.

At China Creek, my plan was to fish upstream until I reached Long Branch, fish up Long Branch to China Creek Trail, and walk the trail back out. On the way up, I caught over twenty in China Creek, and then caught three in Long Branch. Of the three new creeks, China Creek was my favorite. The creek is open, the scenery was great, and most of the wild rainbows I caught there were in the 7-9 inch range.