A feature story on Omar Khalifa, the founder of Shaghalni.com and a professional angler based in Egypt

When Omar Khalifa started fishing as a child, he never dreamed that he would eventually go on to set a world record with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), but today, Khalifa is setting records and making strides in fishing where no Egyptian has gone before.

Omar Khalifa discovered his passion for fishing at a very young age of seven. At first, he thought it was nothing more than a hobby—something that would bring him pleasure for a number of years and then he would move on to something else. Little did he know that 30 years later, he would be a professional angler, hooked on the activity.

During his university years, he used to rent boats with friends and go on fishing trips. His love for fishing went beyond just the activity. Reflecting on his passion for fishing, Omar shared, “I loved it, and it taught me so many things in life: being patient, being lucky, being prepared, etc.”

Not only did his interest in fishing grow, but also his involvement in fishing tournaments and organizations. He continued sharing, “In 2013, I started representing El Gouna in national fishing tournaments organized by the Egyptian Angling Federation. I represent El Gouna because this is where I learnt, and I always have this feeling that I owe any success I achieve in fishing to this place; it is a very special place to me.”

Year after year, Omar Khalifa started climbing up the ranks and securing podium positions in competitions until he eventually represented Egypt in two World Big Game Tournaments (France 2018 and South Africa 2019). The opportunity to represent Egypt at these international tournaments was a great honor for him and a dream come true.

As his opportunities to represent Egypt to a global audience were increasing, Omar saw more and more potential in what he could do. “I have goals in fishing, and one thing on my bucket list has been to have a world record in the name of Egypt. When searching through the International Game Fish Association, I realized that there are six world records that took place in Egypt, but unfortunately none of the anglers are Egyptian. I had this plan to be the first Egyptian to hold an IGFA world record and that once this happens it’ll be like a domino effect, and we’ll see plenty more records,” he said.

Omar’s quest to set a record with the IGFA would prove fruitful, but in order to accomplish his goal, he would need to seek out a record under the IGFA’s specific rules and conditions Omar proudly explained, “To break a world record is not a walk in the park; you need special equipment and line that would not over-test. To clarify, the IGFA offers several world records for the same fish but with different line strengths. For example, one person can be a world record holder by catching a Yellowfin Tuna on a 12lb line, and another person can be a world record holder by catching a Yellowfin Tuna on a 50lb line. So first, I had to study and read a lot so I could buy the right equipment that would fit the IGFA rules for beating a record. Second, I had to go out and try to target the record I wanted to beat, which was a Yellowfin Tuna on a 2lb line, which is the thinnest line in the world. This happened in February 2020, but unfortunately, I lost the fish after a two hour and ten minute battle. The key to this is to keep going and don’t get demotivated, so I kept trying again till the season was over. Then I started targeting other species with a 12lb line until luckily my dream came true. I landed a 3.3kg Black-banded Trevally, which is currently pending approval for a world record. This is a rare species and is the first ever to be recorded in the IGFA; moreover, it’ll be the first record ever by an Egyptian. For me this is a very special moment and my main goal is to motivate other ethical anglers to break more records."

Black-banded Trevally, Seriolina nigrofasciata

Other Names: Black-banded Amberjack, Blackbanded Amberjack, Black-banded Kingfish, Blackbanded Trevally, Butter Amberfish

Depth: 16-150m

Fishing: Commercial and popular sportsfish

Habitat: Reef associated

Max Size: 70 cm; maximum recorded weight 5.2kg

Distribution: Widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and eastern Africa, to northern Australia, and north to southern Japan; also in southern South Africa in the souteast Atlantic.

IGFA Records: none recorded